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Syria air strikes will help bring settlement, says Cameron | Syria air strikes will help bring settlement, says Cameron |
(35 minutes later) | |
Conducting air strikes against targets of so-called Islamic State in Syria will help to bring a political settlement, David Cameron has insisted. | Conducting air strikes against targets of so-called Islamic State in Syria will help to bring a political settlement, David Cameron has insisted. |
Mr Cameron also said reaching such an agreement was "absolutely crucial". | Mr Cameron also said reaching such an agreement was "absolutely crucial". |
The PM's comments come a day after the RAF began bombing IS in Syria, after MPs had voted to allow air strikes to be extended from Iraq into Syria. | The PM's comments come a day after the RAF began bombing IS in Syria, after MPs had voted to allow air strikes to be extended from Iraq into Syria. |
Tornados flew a reconnaissance mission in Syria overnight and dropped a bomb in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said. | |
Air strikes were carried out on six targets of IS, which the government refers to as Daesh, in Syria on Thursday. | |
Two more Tornados and six Typhoons have arrived at RAF Akrotiri, in Cyprus, from where they will join the attacks. | |
Speaking during a visit to Bulgaria on Friday, where he met Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Mr Cameron said: "The strikes actually help to bring about a political settlement because the strikes take the action to Daesh, which is everyone's enemy, and we do need to have a moderate opposition in Syria that can be part of the future government. | |
"So the political process and the action against Daesh to keep us safe at home go hand in hand." | |
He said reaching an agreement was "absolutely crucial but we can't wait for that to happen before we start taking action against Daesh". | |
A statement on the MoD website said two Tornado GR-4 jets flew an armed reconnaissance patrol over eastern Syria overnight, "gathering intelligence on terrorist activity". | |
A second pair of GR-4s patrolled over western Iraq, where they provided air support to Iraqi forces fighting with IS militants in and around Ramadi. | |
"A terrorist sniper team opened fire from a compound on Iraqi troops, but was silenced by a direct hit from a Paveway IV guided bomb," the MoD said. | |
Air strikes were launched shortly after MPs overwhelmingly backed UK military action against IS in Syria, by 397 votes to 223, after a 10-hour Commons debate on Wednesday. |