SYRIA: British jets strike oil fields that financially fuel Islamic State

On Wednesday, the British parliament authorized airstrikes against the Islamic State, and within hours RAF Tornado jets were dropping high precision Paveway bombs on ISIS-controlled oil fields in eastern Syria.

The operation to degrade Islamic State will require patience and persistence, David Cameron has warned, as RAF warplanes mounted their first strikes against the extremists in their Syrian heartlands.

Meanwhile war planes from a US-led coalition carried out overnight strikes on oil-producing areas in an IS-held part of eastern Syria, a group monitoring the war said.

The well-financed terrorist organization, which orchestrated a sophisticated attack on Paris last month, seek to strike the West “because of who we are”, Cameron said, “not because of what we do”.

“We are going to need to be patient and persistent”.

He said reaching an agreement was “absolutely crucial but we can’t wait for that to happen before we start taking action against Daesh”.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the mission would have three components: to protect French naval operations, to provide intelligence though reconnaissance aircraft and satellite observation, and to offer logistical support like in-air refueling for allied planes.

Before the attacks, pilots used the aircrafts’ sensors to confirm “no civilians were in the proximity of the targets”, it stated.

“All four Tornados have now successfully returned and we will be assessing later this morning the actual damage done”.

“We have more Tornados and Typhoons in Cyprus ready to take action – both over the skies of Iraq and Syria because we have to defeat Daesh [Islamic State] wherever it is”.

A total of 66 Labour MPs – 29% of the parliamentary party – sided with the government as it secured a larger than expected Commons majority.

In turn, British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said that the ministry will evaluate the results of the British airstrikes later, claiming that the airstrikes aim at degrading the oil revenues of ISIS.

That comes as Russian Federation continues to carry out an independent air campaign in Syria, which it steadfastly maintains is aimed at Daesh and other terrorist groups, but which the U.S.-led coalition has said is targeting foes of Moscow’s Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad.

Asked how long the United Kingdom might be involved in the coalition campaign against IS in Syria, he said it would “not be quick”, but argued it had not been right to leave bombing to other air forces.