About 330 ISIS fighters have been killed in British air strikes since the Royal Air Force began carrying out raids against the group in September last year, Britain’s Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has said on Thursday.
“This figure is highly approximate, not least given the absence of UK ground troops in a position to observe the effects of strike activity,” Fallon said in a written parliamentary statement.
“We do not believe there have been any civilian casualties as a result of UK strike activity.”
Britain has regularly conducted attacks on ISIS targets in Iraq as part of U.S.-led air strikes, but does not take part in raids in Syria after Prime Minister David Cameron lost a 2013 parliamentary vote to approve military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Cameron is keen to win parliamentary backing to extend raids against ISIS into Syria with Fallon saying the current position is illogical.
However, some members of Cameron’s Conservative party are opposed to expanding air strikes and newly elected opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is a veteran anti-war campaigner meaning he could not be certain of winning a vote.
Earlier this month, Cameron said two British nationals who had been fighting for IS had been killed by an RAF drone strike in Syria, a move he justified on the grounds of self-defense, saying one of the men had been plotting to carry out attacks on Britain.
Also Read
-
Cameron says UK drone strike killed British ISIS fighters in Syria
Britain has killed two of its own nationals who had been fighting for ISIS and plotting attacks on British soil Middle East -
ISIS militant ‘Jihadi John’ vows to attack Britain
In new footage, ISIS militant is filmed unmasked in Syria for the 'first time,' promising to continue cutting 'heads off' Middle East -
Britain to ‘extend’ airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq
Defense Secretary Michael Fallon ruled out the possibility of Western ground troops joining the fight against ISIS Middle East -
UK leader signals support for airstrikes on ISIS in Syria
Prime Minister David Cameron declares that Britain needs to take a greater role in destroying ISIS in Syria Middle East -
Cameron wants lawmakers to weigh U.K. air strikes against ISIS in Syria
British Prime Minister David Cameron wants lawmakers to consider the option of Britain joining U.S.-led air strikes against ISIS militants in Syria Middle East
