Cabinet ministers have warned in the aftermath of the first RAF Tornado bombing raids in Syria that it may take as long as two years to destroy Islamic State, saying it will require patience and persistence.
A military breakthrough may first require diplomatic agreement on the formation of a new transitional government capable of uniting warring forces to drive Isis from northern Syria, government sources added.
“We are going to need to be patient and persistent. This is going to take time. It is complex, it is difficult what we are asking our pilots to do, and our thoughts should be with them and their families,” David Cameron said.
Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, said the air campaign, due to be supported by reconstituted Syrian troops, could last years. “The American estimate of the campaign in Iraq, which began last year, was that it would last at least three years and we’re not halfway through that yet.”
Four Tornado jets carrying Paveway guided bombs took off from the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus shortly after Wednesday’s late-night vote in the Commons to carry out attacks in Syria in the early hours of the morning. Fallon said he had “approved yesterday a series of targets in the [al-Omar] oil field – wellheads from which the oil production is derived which helps to finance Daesh [Isis]”.
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