The work underway at the Shaayrat air base, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the city of Homs, could also signal Moscow’s intention to step up airstrikes in the country’s central region where the Islamic State group is active. “We know who in Turkey are filling their pockets and allow terrorists to earn money by selling oil stolen from Syria”, he said in his annual state of the nation address.
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Obama has defended his strategy for combating Islamic State against criticism from Republicans in Congress and in the presidential campaign who say he’s not being aggressive enough in the fight.
Russia has been punishing Turkey economically for its downing of a Russian warplane along the Syria border which led to the deaths of two Russian servicemen.
British bombers made their second round of strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria late on Friday, again hitting oilfields, British Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said on Saturday. Minutes after the speech, his energy minister announced the suspension of a gas pipeline project.
MPs voted by 397 to 223 in favour of extending British action to quash IS, also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh, from Iraq into its Syrian strongholds – a majority of 174. The decision came after an emotional 10 1/2-hour debate in which Cameron said that Britain must strike the militants in their heartland and not “sit back and wait for them to attack us”.
Germany on Thursday prepared to send reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East as coalition forces stepped up efforts to fight the militants.
The Defense Ministry tells the dpa news agency that Ursula von der Leyen plans to meet with her Turkish counterpart Thursday afternoon in Ankara. Two Tornados and a tanker could be sent to Turkey’s Incirlik air base next week if the German Parliament approves the mission Friday as expected.
In a statement Thursday, French President Francois Hollande said the British Parliament’s approval of the airstrikes and the upcoming German vote were a sign that Europeans would stand together after the attacks that killed 130 people and left hundreds wounded in Paris.
Approximately 100 special forced will be sent to Iraq, according to Col. Steve Warren, spokesman of the U.S.-lead coalition fighting Daesh.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense says its jets struck at oil facilities in Syria, hours after Parliament voted for Britain to join allies in bombarding the Islamic State group. There was no immediate assessment offered of the results of the strikes. The RAF has been conducting air strikes on IS targets in Iraq since 2014.
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Defence officials confirmed that two RAF Tornado jets, which carry a range of munitions including Paveway IV guided bombs and precision guided Brimstone missiles, took off from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus, but refused to be drawn on the details of their mission. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give his name when discussing operations.
