Milton Keynes MPs voted FOR Syria airstrikes as Britain heads to war

Tornados took off from a British air base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, shortly after the 397-223 vote by lawmakers in the House of Commons.

“It will not make a big operational difference”.

Keen to avoid a repeat of a damaging 2013 parliamentary defeat over plans to bomb the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Cameron had made it clear he would not bring a vote to parliament if he did not think he could win it.

“We are very pleased that a significant number of Labour MPs have voted with the Government tonight so we have got a clear majority across the House of Commons in support of the action that we are now going to be taking to degrade this evil terrorist organisation, ” he told Sky News.

Britain will be joining a coalition of allies – including the U.S. and France – intent on destroying the death cult, also known as Daesh.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain was “safer” following the decision to back air strikes.

In a statement, the MoD said: “Before our aircrew conducted their attacks, as is normal they used the aircraft’s advanced sensors to confirm that no civilians were in the proximity of the targets, who might be placed at risk”.

He said that attacking IS was not anti-Muslim but “a defense of Islam” against “women-raping, Muslim-murdering, medieval monsters”.

The move comes despite dissent from the pacifist Left party and some opposition Greens.

Britain already conducts air strikes against IS targets in Iraq, and in August launched a drone strike that killed two British IS militants in Syria.

MoD officials have confirmed eight more jets – two Tornados and six Typhoons – were being sent to Akrotiri to join and support the forces amassing in Cyprus. President Francois Hollande cited specific threats against French interests stemming from the Islamic State group in Syria. Britain, though, adamantly opposes the involvement of western troops in ground combat in Syria.

Cameron stood by that claim on Wednesday, though he conceded, “I’m not saying that the 70,000 are our ideal partners”.

“The Brits have expertise and capabilities”, she said.