British bombers hit IS targets in Syria

About one hour after the vote concluded, RAF Tornados – similar to the Tornado warplane pictured at the top of this page – took off from the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, returning three hours later after dropping their destructive payloads on ISIS targets in Syria.

A ministry of defence spokesperson told the British bombers had conducted strikes in Syria, and details about their targets would be provided later Thursday.

After more than 10 hours of tense debate, British lawmakers voted in favour of the air strikes, by 397 to 223.

Prime Minister David Cameron had argued that the Islamic State posed a threat not just to Syria but to Britain as well, and his arguments took on greater urgency after the November 13 attacks in Paris.

The decision to extend bombing to Syria divided the opposition Labour Party, opposed by its leader Jeremy Corbyn but supported by its foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn in a passionate speech in parliament.

Opening the debate on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain “should not wait any longer” before reducing the treat from IS to its security.

Mr Baron said the short-term effect of United Kingdom air strikes in Syria would be “marginal”.

British officials say Royal Air Force Typhoon and Tornado fighter jets, armed with Brimstone missiles capable of hitting moving targets, would bring the campaign highly accurate firepower and help minimise civilian casualties.

“Without a comprehensive strategy air strikes will simply reinforce the West’s long-term failure in the region, generally, at a time when there are already too many aircraft chasing too few targets”.

Fallon confirmed that eight more jets were on the way to Britain’s base in Cyprus to join attacks and warned that military action against ISIS should be expected to continue for years to come.

Both France and the USA have urged Britain to join their air campaign in Syria, and Cameron said Britain should not let its allies down.

“We should answer the call from our allies”.

The Conservative party leader was repeatedly asked to apologise by Opposition Labour MPs for comments he reportedly made to fellow Conservative MPs?on Tuesday, asking them not to vote with “a bunch of terrorism sympathisers”.

The vote has blown open deep divisions in the Labour Party with claims that MPs in favour of military action have faced threats of recriminations.

‘These people are not Muslims – they are outlaws from Islam, and we must stand with our Muslim friends here and around the world as they reclaim their religion from these terrorists. Military strikes alone won’t help Syria, won’t keep us safe from Daesh.

When parliament approved strikes on Iraq, the bombing began four days later.

Some members of the US-led coalition have also been pounding purported Daesh positions inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a United Nations mandate since September a year ago.