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UK to continue surveillance operations in Iraq and Syria until next year

Published September 26th, 2015 - 02:29 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

UK has extended the use of surveillance aircraft in Iraq and Syria until next year.

The Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the operations will continue to provide information to British and other US-led forces fighting ISIL terrorists also known as Daesh in the countries.

Fallon also said the fight against Daesh remained the UK's "top operational priority".

The UK has been carrying out surveillance and air-to-air refueling operations in Syria. The government was defeated in a vote on military action in the country two years ago.

The UK has been carrying out air strikes in Iraq since 30 September 2014. 

"Our armed forces have conducted more than 300 strikes, flown almost a third of all coalition surveillance flights and trained over 2,000 local troops...Now we must build on this progress. We will not let up until we have defeated this barbaric terrorist organization," Fallon said.

In July, UK took part in airstrikes in Syria against Daesh terrorists despite the fact that MPs had voted against UK military intervention in the country. 

It was also later revealed that two British militants were killed by a British drone strike in Syria. Prime Minister David Cameron described the attack as an "act of self defence".

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