Britain has for the first time conducted an armed drone strike inside Syria, killing three Islamic State fighters, Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament Monday.
The strike marks a significant point in Britain’s battle with jihadi troops. Two years ago, British lawmakers rejected military involvement in Syria, although the country is involved in the U.S.-led effort in Iraq.
Cameron said the attack in Syria was justified because the militants were plotting lethal attacks against Britain and there was no other recourse than to strike in self-defense. Two of the fighters killed were Britons.
“There was a terrorist directing murder on our streets and no other means to stop them,” Cameron said. He said the decision to launch the attack by the Royal Air Force wasn’t made lightly and had been approved by the attorney general. He said it took place Aug. 21 in the Syrian city of Raqqa after “meticulous planning.”
British nationals Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin were killed, along with another Islamic State militant who was unidentified. Based in Syria, the three were involved in recruiting Islamic State sympathizers and seeking to orchestrate attacks against the West, including murdering British citizens, according to Cameron.
Cameron didn’t give many details about precisely what the militants had planned, although he did say it included “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.”
Britain’s action raises questions about the scope of its role in the Middle East. At the same time, France announced it is escalating operations by sending reconnaissance flights over Syria and considering airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syrian territory.
