British warplanes bomb IS to support Iraqi push on Mosul

, short codes to place the image(s) inside the content. And Use ##AD-CODE## short code to place the ad.Akrotiri (Cyprus) : British Tornado and Typhoon aircraft stationed at a UK air base in Cyprus are pounding Islamic State targets ahead of a major offensive by Iraqi security forces next month to recapture the key northern city of Mosul from IS militants, a senior Royal Air Force officer says.

Air Commodore Sammy Sampson said Iraqi forces are confident they can retake the country's second-largest city from IS and that British warplanes will provide the needed support to get the job done. We'll stand by them. We'll support them. We will make it do-able for them," Sampson told reporters Thursday on a guided tour of the RAF Akrotiri base's operations.

Sampson said the eight Tornado and six Typhoon aircraft flying out of RAF Akrotiri have in recent days destroyed numerous IS targets to pave the way for the start of the advance on Mosul in the coming weeks.

Mosul is the IS group's last major urban stronghold in Iraq, 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad. US officials have said for some time that they expect the Mosul operation to begin in October.

One Typhoon strike last week hit an IS training camp just inside Iraq on its border with Syria, killing some 40-50 fighters, said Sampson. The aircraft later destroyed IS weapons stockpiles and rocket launchers north of Ramadi in support of Iraqi forces.