As Germany and Britain joined the USA and France in military strike against the Islamic State militant group in Syria and Iraq, the White House has said the joint effort will ultimately destroy the terror outfit even though it will be a long and challenging fight.
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Mr Fallon was visiting the base today, where he thanked 200 military personnel for their work but could make no assurances about the length of the campaign, telling them only that it would not be short. “It’s because of who we are in Britain and the west that we have this particular death cult”, he said.
“The plots that have been prevented were plots to create murder and mayhem on our streets in Britain”, he added, saying the plots were “inspired or directed from Syria”.
More fighter jets have been sent to RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus ahead of further strikes in Syria and continued raids in Iraq against ISIS.
Meanwhile, David Cameron came under fresh pressure over his claims that 70,000 fighters in Syria would be able to take on IS. That’s why we have doubled the strike force available to you.
Supporters of air strikes maintain that Isis must be attacked to hamper their attempts at future attacks.
Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said Typhoon jets were used on Friday night, alongside unmanned Reaper drones and Tornados, as the terrorists were made to feel “the full force of the RAF”.
“We are developing partnerships, although they are not strong as we want yet, with local tribes and Sunnis who are willing to fight ISIL”, he told CBS.
It is understood the targets were oil fields again, and the mission involved two Typhoons and two Tornados. We are people who choose our Government, accept a Rule of Law, tolerate other religions.
“Last night we saw the Typhoons in action for the first time, successfully hitting an oil field, oil well heads in eastern Syria out in the Omar field”, Fallon told Sky News.
A sniper team opened fire on Iraqi troops, but was silenced by a direct hit from a Paveway IV guided bomb, the MoD said.
The government’s victory was no surprise, with most observers agreeing that Mr Cameron would not have put it to the vote if there was a chance of a defeat similar to the parliamentary rejection against air strikes in Syria – then against Bashar Al-Assad’s barrel-bombing regime.
Both the U.S.-led coalition and Russian warplanes have struck the extremists’ oil facilities and Russia has drawn heated worldwide attention to the issue by accusing Turkish authorities of profiting from oil trade with IS – allegations Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly denied.
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Two Tornado GR4s conducted an armed areal investigation over eastern Syria, while two GR4s patrolled over western Iraq.
