June 7, 1981
Israeli Aircraft Destroy the Osirak Reactor
Historical context
On 7 June 1981, Israeli aircraft destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor.
Archive record
Read the event, then follow its documented sources and archive threads.
- Date
- June 7, 1981
- Verified sources
- 2
- Archive threads
- 3
On this day, the Israeli Air Force destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. The Israel Defense Forces record that 14 fighter jets left Etzion at 4 p.m. and struck the reactor at about 5:30 p.m. Eight were F-16s and six were F-15s. All of the pilots returned.
The National Security Archive records that ten Iraqi soldiers and one French engineer were killed.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- Operation Opera · Israel Defense Forces · Israel Defense Forces View source
- Osirak: Israel's Strike on Iraq's Nuclear Reactor, 40 Years Later · National Security Archive · George Washington University View source
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