Britain bombs away

STRIKES: FIGHTER JETS POUND TARGETS IN SYRIA HOURS AFTER ‘YES’ VOTE

Britain joined the USled bombing campaign over Syria yesterday, hitting an oil field held by Islamic State (IS) jihadists just hours after a decisive parliamentary vote authorised air strikes.

Royal Air Force planes based in Cyprus carried out the “first offensive operation over Syria and have conducted strikes”, a defence ministry spokesperson said yesterday, following a vote on Wednesday evening.

The strikes, carried out by four Tornado fighters, focused on six targets in the oil field in eastern Syria, 48km from the Syria border, the ministry said.

The first two jets took off at about 11.30pm local time, followed by two more an hour later, each carrying three precision-guided 226kg Paveway bombs and returning without them, the BBC reported.

“This strikes a very real blow at the oil and the revenue on which the Daesh terrorists depend,” Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC, using an alternative name for IS.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s government was backed by 397 lawmakers, compared to 223 who opposed the bombing, giving him the strong mandate he said was essential for military action.

During the 10-hour debate, a wide range of MPs from all parties, including main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, spoke out against air strikes.

Corbyn condemned Cameron’s “ill thought-out rush to war”.

However, Labour was deeply split on the issue. About 67 of its 231 MPs reportedly voted in favour of bombing, including 11 members of Corbyn’s frontbench.