UK’s Tornado jets to fly in Iraq air strikes for extra year

THE UK will continue to participate in air strikes on Iraq into 2017, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has announced. The mission is flown by RAF Tornado jets, which were due to be retired from service, but will continue to be used on Islamic State (IS) targets until at least March 2017. 

The strikes in Iraq were ordered in September 2014, after parliament was recalled to discuss the issue. The minister told the BBC that the jets had already pushed militants from key areas, and had “proved their worth” in the mission.

The minister was speaking in Baghdad, where he met with Iraqi officials. He said the UK would continue to provide Iraqi forces with training and air power to support them in fighting IS, but would not be sending in ground troops.