Britain Carries out First Airstrikes against ISIS in Syria: Government + VIDEO

Thu Dec 3, 2015 08:45:17

Britain carried out its first air strikes against ISIS terrorists in Syria on Thursday, just hours after a parliamentary vote, the British Ministry of Defense said.

Royal Air Force Tornados had returned from the “first offensive operation over Syria and have conducted strikes,” a spokesman for the ministry said. AFP reported.

Fighter jets take off from base in Cyprus after 66 Labour MPs help David Cameron achieve majority needed to authorise extending RAF bombing from Iraq to Syria.

The four RAF jets carry a range of munitions including Paveway IV guided bombs and precision-guided Brimstone missiles. Defense officials refused to be drawn on the targets of their mission.

Earlier, at the end of a day of extraordinary rhetoric and private anguish in the House of Commons, MPs voted by 397 to 223 in favour of sending Tornado jets to seek out Isis targets in Syria.

An all-day debate in parliament closed with an oratorical tour de force by the shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, which drew cheers, waving of order papers and applause from across the packed chamber, including from many Tories.

A total of 66 Labour MPs rejected the advice of their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and voted with the government, but only seven Tories ignored the party’s three-line whip and voted to oppose airstrikes; Guardian reported.

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