UK

RAF drone strike kills two British Islamic State fighters in Syria

David Cameron revealed details of the strike in a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon 
David Cameron revealed details of the strike in a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon  David Cameron revealed details of the strike in a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon 

Two British citizens who were fighting for Islamic State (IS) were killed in an RAF drone strike in Syria which was carried out without parliamentary approval, David Cameron has said.

A third militant was also killed in the August 21 strike on a car in IS stronghold Raqqa, in what the Prime Minister described as an "act of self defence" against the primary British target who was planning "specific and barbaric" terrorist attacks in his homeland.

No civilians were killed and the strike was not carried out as part of coalition bombing operations against IS, also known as Isis or Isil.

The strike was "entirely lawful" and was approved by the Attorney General, the PM insisted.

In a statement to the Commons, Mr Cameron said: "My first duty as Prime Minister is to keep the British people safe.

"That is what I will always do.

"There was a terrorist directing murder on our streets and no other means to stop them.

"This Government does not for one moment take these decisions lightly.

"But I am not prepared to stand here in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on our streets and have to explain to the House why I did not take the chance to prevent it when I could have done.

"That is why I believe our approach is right and I commend this statement to the House."

Mr Cameron said in recent weeks it had been reported that two British IS fighters who had been plotting attacks in this country had been killed in airstrikes.

"Both Junaid Hussain and Reyaad Khan, were British nationals based in Syria who were involved in actively recruiting Isil sympathisers and seeking to orchestrate specific and barbaric attacks against the West, including directing a number of planned terrorist attacks right here in Britain, such as plots to attack high profile public commemorations, including those taking place this summer," the PM said.

"We should be under no illusion. Their intention was the murder of British citizens. So on this occasion we ourselves took action.

"Today I can inform the House that in an act of self-defence and after meticulous planning Reyaad Khan was killed in a precision air strike carried out on August 21 by an RAF remotely piloted aircraft while he was travelling in a vehicle in the area of Raqqah in Syria.

"In addition to Reyaad Khan who was the target of the strike, two IS associates were also killed, one of whom - Ruhul Amin, has been identified as a UK national.

"They were IS fighters and I can confirm there were no civilian casualties.

Mr Cameron went in: "We took this action because there was no alternative. In this area, there is no government we can work with.

"We have no military on the ground to detain those preparing plots. And there was nothing to suggest that Reyaad Khan would ever leave Syria or desist from his desire to murder us at home.

"So we had no way of preventing his planned attacks on our country without taking direct action."