RAF ready to launch fresh IS strikes in Afghanistan

Head of the Air Force says Britain will continue to take the fight to Islamic State wherever necessary

THE RAF is prepared to launch fresh air strikes against Islamic State in Afghanistan, the Chief of the Air Staff has signalled in the wake of rocket attacks by the terror network.

Just three days after the British military presence in the country ended following 20 years of conflict, the head of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston told The Daily Telegraph new offensives may be required.

“Ultimately what this boils down to is that we’ve got to be able to play a global role in the global coalition to defeat Daesh, whether it’s strike, or whether it’s moving troops or equipment into a particular country, at scale and at speed,” he said.

His comments come after Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, yesterday said that Britain was willing to use “all means necessary” to combat the violent Islamists, amid warnings that the chaos in Afghanistan had increased the terror threat to the UK.

Mr Raab signed a joint statement issued by the Us-led coalition which previously targeted IS, also known as Daesh, in Syria and Iraq, vowing to “draw on all elements of national power – military, intelligence, diplomatic, economic, law enforcement” to crush the terrorist group.

Commenting on the statement he said: “The UK stands united with our coalition partners in mourning those killed by Daesh’s horrific attack at Kabul airport and in our unwavering collective resolve to combat Daesh networks by all means available, wherever they operate.”

The Chief of the Air Staff added: “If there’s an opportunity for us to contribute, I am in no doubt that we will be ready to – that will be anywhere where violent extremism raises its head, and is a direct or indirect threat to the UK and our allies. Afghanistan is probably one of the most inaccessible parts of the world, and we’re able to operate there.”

The Telegraph understands that Government officials have examined logistics for air strikes, which raise questions about where RAF jets would be based, how they would refuel and how targets would be identified on the ground.

Air Chief Marshal Wigston said that he was in discussions with his international counterparts about long-term plans to base more RAF units overseas, including those operating the Protector drone, which is due to come into service in 2024.

The Pentagon yesterday said that the terror threat in Kabul was “real, active, and in many cases specific” as the US last night ended its military operation in the country after two decades.

Five rockets were fired at Kabul airport as the US flew out its key diplomats. Three of the five rockets missed, one was shot down by defence systems, and the fifth landed within the perimeter of the airport but did not cause any casualties.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said a US drone strike on Sunday stopped an IS car bomber suspected of planning to attack the airport. But reports emerged in the Afghan capital that a family of 10, including seven children, had been killed in the strike. The Pentagon said it was investigating.

Commenting on the risk to civilians, the Air Chief Marshal said: “These [IS terrorists] are nasty, devious people who hide behind the civilian population, and they fight from the civilian population. And it’s one of those awful consequences of tackling the violent extremists that, however hard we try, in the back of my mind, I know there will be instances where there will be unavoidable civilian casualties.” However,

‘If there’s an opportunity for us to contribute, I am in no doubt that we will be ready to’

he added that the latest Brimstone missiles were able to effectively eliminate a target without collateral damage.

The projection of unity from the Global Coalition to defeat IS came as the Pentagon faced a backlash from Tory MPS over the leaked minutes of classified calls among American commanders that took place last week.

The conference call transcripts were said to cite the UK evacuation effort as the reason for keeping open Abbey Gate at Kabul airport, where 13 American personnel and 170 civilians were later killed by a suicide bomb.

However, a UK Government source hit back at the claim, insisting “I don’t think it was just the UK using the gate.” The Pentagon said the Politico story was based on “unlawful disclosure of classified information”.

A flurry of diplomatic activity took place yesterday aimed at building international consensus regarding

Afghanistan. In New York the UK’S Ambassador to the UN joined her counterparts from the four other permanent members of the Security Council to discuss the situation. Britain and France are spearheading a UN motion to create a safe zone at Kabul airport to protect humanitarian operations.

The MOD did not rule out British troops being deployed to secure such a safe zone if agreement can be reached on setting it up. “There are a number of options being considered and at this time we are unable to comment on specifics,” said a department spokesman.

Mr Raab joined a meeting with counterparts from the G7, Qatar, Turkey and Nato yesterday afternoon, in which he emphasised the importance of working with like-minded partners on safe passage for refugees out of Afghanistan.

While the Taliban has given assurances that foreign nationals and Afghan citizens with travel authorisation will

‘Everyone is testing each other about how you work with the Taliban. The world is a bit shell-shocked’

be allowed to exit, the Foreign Secretary warned: “We must judge them on their actions.”

A diplomatic source said: “Everyone is testing each other about how you work with the Taliban and what goes next. The world is a bit shell-shocked.”

James Cleverly, the minister for the Middle East, insisted that the Government remained “quite sceptical” about the commitments the new regime in Kabul had made. “They have said that they want to be treated like a legitimate government and there’s a long way to go before we might consider that,” he told the BBC.

The UN Security Council last night adopted a resolution on Afghanistan, which passed with 13 votes and no objections, after China and Russia abstained.

It set out expectations for the Taliban to prevent the country becoming a safe haven for terrorists, allow Afghans safe passage to leave, afford the UN and other NGOS access, and respect human rights. It fell short of agreeing that a safe zone should be created in Kabul.