Syria air strikes: David Cameron warns of long campaign

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the MoD would be assessing the damage done by the first strikes, saying he had personally approved the targets ahead of the Commons vote.

He said the aim was to strike "a very real blow on the oil and revenue on which Daesh depends".

A White House spokesman welcomed Parliament's approval of action in Syria, saying "we congratulate the UK on the strikes overnight".

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the UK was obliged under the terms of the UN Security Council resolution on dealing with IS to coordinate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on air strikes in the country.

'Urgency' over oilfields

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the IS-controlled Omar oilfield in eastern Syria - hit by UK air strikes - was one of eight oilfields targeted by coalition forces.

He said the decision to target oilfields may have been a political one - to avoid civilian casualties.

But our correspondent said there was now "an urgency" among US-led forces to "close down" IS sources of revenue.

The oilfield at Omar potentially represents more than 10% of its income, the MoD said.

Mr Fallon also confirmed two Tornados and six Typhoons were being sent to join the eight jets already at the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, from where UK operations in Iraq have been launched.

The Typhoons left RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, to join the air strikes.

 

(BBC)