Operation Shader

Operation Shader
	Part of the War against the Islamic State, the US-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021), the US intervention in the Syrian civil war and the Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war
	; A Typhoon FGR4 flies over Iraq on 22 December 2015.
Date	9 August 2014 – ongoing
Location	Iraq, Syria, Libya, & Lebanon
Status	British airstrikes and ground support against ISIL in Iraq and Syria; Recapture of all ISIL-held territory in Iraq by 10 December 2017; Complete military defeat of ISIL in Syria on 23 March 2019; Numerous ISIL leaders killed; Multiple terrorist acts committed by ISIL in London and Manchester leading to 34 deaths;
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Keir Starmer; John Healey ; Tony Radakin; Charles Stickland; Gp Capt Guy Lefroy; Former David Cameron ; Theresa May ; Boris Johnson ; Liz Truss ; Rishi Sunak ; Michael Fallon ; Gavin Williamson ; Penny Mordaunt ; Ben Wallace ; Amber Rudd ; Sajid Javid ; Priti Patel ; Suella Braverman ; Nick Houghton ; Stuart Peach ; Nick Carter ; Peter Wall ; Nick Carter ; Mark Carleton-Smith ; Lieutenant-General Mark Poffley ; Lieutenant-General Nick Pope ; Lieutenant-General Christopher Tickell ; Glenn Haughton ; Gavin Paton ; George Zambellas ; Philip Jones ; Tony Radakin ; Andrew Pulford ; Stephen Hillier ; Michael Wigston ; Graeme Spark ; Clive Martland ; Jon Crossley ; Jake Alpert ;	Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (Leader of IS); Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi †; Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi †; Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi †; Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi † ; Abu Alaa Afri †; Abu Suleiman al-Naser †; Abu Ali al-Anbari †; Abu Omar al-Shishani †
Units involved
Royal Air Force; British Army; Royal Navy	Military of ISIL
Strength
See Deployed forces	9,000–18,000 (U.S. intelligence estimate, January 2015); 20,000–31,500 (CIA estimate, September 2014); * 850 British jihadists;
Casualties and losses
3 servicemen killed (2 non-combat); 2 servicemen wounded; 8 volunteer SDF fighters killed; 2 volunteer aid workers executed; 1 journalist missing	4,066 killed, 303 injured (per UK, 2021)

Operation Shader is the operational code name given to the contribution of the United Kingdom in its military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The operation involved the British Army providing ground support and training to allied forces fighting against ISIL, the Royal Air Force providing humanitarian aid airdrops, reconnaissance and airstrikes, and the Royal Navy providing reconnaissance and airstrikes from the UK Carrier Strike group and escort to allied carrier battle groups. Additionally, UK Special Forces had reportedly operated in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

By January 2019, the Ministry of Defence stated that 1,700 British airstrikes had killed or injured 4,315 enemy fighters in Iraq and Syria, with one civilian casualty. The RAF had also delivered £230 million worth of humanitarian aid. Overall, the operation had resulted in a net cost of £1.75 billion. The number of airstrikes carried out in Iraq and Syria has been second only to the United States, with a report that the Royal Air Force has conducted 20 per cent of all airstrikes. The operation became the most intense flying mission the RAF had undertaken in 25 years.

On 28 September 2024, the Ministry of Defence announced that British jets would cease strike operations over Iraq and Syria following the conclusion of the Global Coalition's military mission against ISIL, which would draw to a close over the next 12 months. However, the Royal Air Force resumed operations against Islamic State, reflecting the coalition's assessment that the threat persisted and required ongoing military pressure.