UK bombs Syrian oil field

Britain joined the US-led bombing campaign over Syria on Thursday, hitting an oil field held by Islamic State jihadists just hours after a decisive parliamentary vote authorised air strikes, reports AFP from London.
Royal Air Force planes based in Cyprus carried out the “first offensive operation against Daesh terrorist targets inside Syria,” the defence ministry said in a statement, using an alternative name for IS.
The strikes with Paveway guided bombs were carried out by four Tornado fighter jets and focused on targets in the Omar oil field in eastern Syria, 30 miles (48 kilometres) from the Iraq border.
The field “represents over 10 percent of their potential income from oil,” the ministry statement said, adding: “Initial analysis of the operation indicates that the strikes were successful”.
US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman welcomed Britain’s participation. Momentum to join the strikes grew after last month’s terror attack on Paris in which 130 people were killed and Hollande on Thursday hailed a “new response to the call for European solidarity”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies there should be a single coalition to improve the “effectiveness” of the air strikes.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s government was backed by 397 lawmakers with 223 opposing the bombing in a vote late on Wednesday after a sometimes raucous debate lasting more than 10 hours.
But Labour’s own chief foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn delivered an impassioned speech in favour of bombing, illustrating deep divisions in the party.
A wide range of MPs including main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke out against air strikes, condemning Cameron’s “ill thought-out rush to war” and saying his proposals “simply do not stack up”.
Cameron also refused to apologise to opposition MPs for reportedly telling fellow Conservatives in a private meeting ahead of the vote that they should not side with “a bunch of terrorist sympathisers”.
“Tornados at dawn” read Thursday’s front-page headline on Britain’s top-selling paper, The Sun, while The Times ran with: “PM wins huge backing for war”.
Britain already has eight Tornado fighter jets plus drones involved in the US-led coalition striking IS targets in Iraq, operating out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

 

UK bombs Syrian oil field

Britain joined the US-led bombing campaign over Syria on Thursday, hitting an oil field held by Islamic State jihadists just hours after a decisive parliamentary vote authorised air strikes, reports AFP from London. Royal Air Force planes based in Cyprus carried out the first offensive operation against Daesh terrorist targets inside Syria, the defence ministry said in a statement, using an alternative name for IS. The strikes with Paveway guided bombs were carried out by four Tornado fighter jets and focused on targets in the Omar oil field in eastern Syria, 30 miles (48 kilometres) from the Iraq border. The field represents over 10 percent of their potential income from oil, the ministry statement said, adding: Initial analysis of the operation indicates that the strikes were successful. US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman welcomed Britains participation. Momentum to join the strikes grew after last months terror attack on Paris in which 130 people were killed and Hollande on Thursday hailed a new response to the call for European solidarity. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies there should be a single coalition to improve the effectiveness of the air strikes. Prime Minister David Camerons government was backed by 397 lawmakers with 223 opposing the bombing in a vote late on Wednesday after a sometimes raucous debate lasting more than 10 hours. But Labours own chief foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn delivered an impassioned speech in favour of bombing, illustrating deep divisions in the party. A wide range of MPs including main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke out against air strikes, condemning Camerons ill thought-out rush to war and saying his proposals simply do not stack up. Cameron also refused to apologise to opposition MPs for reportedly telling fellow Conservatives in a private meeting ahead of the vote that they should not side with a bunch of terrorist sympathisers. Tornados at dawn read Thursdays front-page headline on Britains top-selling paper, The Sun, while The Times ran with: PM wins huge backing for war. Britain already has eight Tornado fighter jets plus drones involved in the US-led coalition striking IS targets in Iraq, operating out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.