Share

British bombers strike Syrian oilfields

The strikes, carried out by four Tornado fighters, focused on six targets in the oil field in eastern Syria, 30 miles (48 kilometres) from the Syria border, the ministry said.

Advertisement

Fallon said the UK Ministry of Defence would be assessing the damage done by the bombing later, but the aim was to strike “a very real blow on the oil and revenue on which Daesh (another name for ISIS) depends”.

More fighter jets have been sent to RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus ahead of further strikes in Syria and continued raids in Iraq against ISIS.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the IS-controlled Omar oilfield – a target of the United Kingdom air strikes – was one of eight oilfields targeted by coalition forces.

David Cameron argued in the House of Commons on Wednesday that action against the “medieval monsters” of IS was legal and would “keep our country safe”.

Media reports prior to Cameron’s remarks emerging said about 50 Labour lawmakers would back action when the vote takes place late on Wednesday, after 10-1/2 hours of debate in parliament.

The MoD said in a statement: “Overnight on December 3-4, Tornado GR4s from RAF Akrotiri conducted missions over Syria and Iraq”. There was a compelling case for extending our air strikes from Iraq to Syria, and I was glad to see such strong support right across parliament.

Cameron has said repeatedly that he plans on sending no ground troops to Syria – but that no one should expect the battle against ISIS to be won anytime soon.

December 3, 2015: A British tornado warplane passes on the runway at the RAF Akrotiri, a British air base near costal city of Limassol, Cyprus after an airstrike.

“We have more Tornados and Typhoons in Cyprus ready to take action – both over the skies of Iraq and Syria because we have to defeat Daesh [Islamic State] wherever it is”.

British Tornado jets over eastern Syria struck oil fields that help finance the activities of the Islamic State.

The mood has changed following the November 13 Paris attacks, claimed by the IS, that killed 130 people.

The Combined Joint Task Force said 15 strikes near five Iraqi cities hit seven of the militant group’s tactical units.

Critics claim the British airstrikes will make no difference in the fight against ISIS, and that ground forces will be needed to root out the terror group.

While French bombing in Syria appears to be accurate, Russian Federation has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians in its airstrikes – including children.

Advertisement

But although the British vote adds little additional military capability to the coalition, it has had outsized political and diplomatic significance since last month’s attacks in Paris, as Europe’s other leading military power wrestled with a decision to join France in expanding its military action.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn Getty