Britain this week began bombing the Islamic State in Syria from its RAF base in Cyprus sending in extra aircraft and personnel.
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He added: ” The strikes actually help to bring about a political settlement because the strikes take the action to Daesh, which is everyone’s enemy, and we do need to have a moderate opposition in Syria that can be part of the future government. Obama said in a statement, “We… will work to integrate them into our coalition air tasking orders as quickly as possible”.
They are believed to be the first terrorists killed since MPs voted to extend airstrikes from Iraq to Isis-controlled territory in neighbouring Syria.
The Typhoon fighter bombers had only arrived at Britain’s airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus on Thursday, bolstering its strike force of Tornado warplanes.
“What I’ve been very clear about is that we are going to systematically squeeze and ultimately destroy ISIL and that requires us having a military component to that”, Obama told CBS.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the extremists in the Middle East can not be defeated exclusively by airstrikes and the ground forces, mainly Syrian and Arab, need to be deployed for the efficient anti-terrorist efforts.
Two Typhoons and two Tornado jets were sent on a combat mission from the Akrotiri base.
The MoD said the RAF’s accuracy record in Iraq shows the “rigorous targeting protocols United Kingdom forces observe” and are adhering to those same principles when taking action over Syria. “And it derives from Syria”, he said.
“They’ve been making a lot of money out of oil”, said Fallon.
He made no assurances about the length of the campaign, telling them only it was “not going to be short or simple”.
“A terrorist sniper team opened fire from a compound on Iraqi troops, but was silenced by a direct hit from a Paveway IV guided bomb”, a statement said.
British Defence Minister, Michael Fallon, talks to British pilots and soldiers at RAF Akrotiri, a British air base near the coastal city of Limassol, Cyprus, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015.
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The strikes follow within hours of Parliament’s vote to attack the group, also known as Isil, Isis and by its Arabic acronym, Daesh. Two GR4s flew an armed reconnaissance patrol over eastern Syria, gathering intelligence on terrorist activity.
