Britain's secret war on ISIS: Cameron gives SAS the green light to launch killing raids on terror leaders inside Syria and Iraq
- Intelligence sources reveal SAS has been given 'carte blanche' to attack
- Elite force of up to 100 troops expected to be committed to the secret war
- David Cameron pledged a 'broad spectrum' response to Tunisian massacre
- ISIS gunman Seifeddine Rezgui murdered 30 British tourists in Sousse
British
special forces have been given the green light to launch raids deep
into ISIS-held territory in Syria and Iraq, senior intelligence sources
have revealed.
Amid
growing alarm at the threat posed directly to Britain, the SAS has been
given 'carte blanche' to kill or capture the terror group's leaders –
including the masterminds behind the Tunisian beach massacre.
An
elite force of up to 100 troops is expected to be committed to the
secret war, working alongside US special forces and Navy Seal teams.
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An elite force of up to 100 troops is
expected to be committed to the secret war, working alongside US special
forces and Navy Seal teams
David
Cameron last week pledged a 'broad spectrum' response to the murder of
30 British tourists by ISIS gunman Seifeddine Rezgui in the Tunisian
beach resort of Sousse.
According
to the Sunday Times the SAS and SBS will be working with MI6 and GCHQ,
the government's eavesdropping service, to target Isis and other terror
groups which pose a threat to Britain.
The
operations will be planned and co-ordinated by permanent joint
headquarters in Northwood, northwest London. Sources said each mission
will probably require the approval of the prime minister.
One senior intelligence source told the Sunday Times: 'The SAS have been pushing to be more proactive for quite a while.
'In
the past couple of years they have planned a number of operations in
Syria when the chemical weapon threat was high but the missions were
vetoed at the highest level because of the risks involved.
'The Tunisian attack has led to a rethink and has speeded up the inevitable use of SF [special forces] against Islamic State.'
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Amid growing alarm at the threat posed
directly to Britain, the SAS has been given 'carte blanche' to kill or
capture the ISIS fanatics led by the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
(pictured)
David Cameron last week pledged a
'broad spectrum' response to the murder of 30 British tourists by ISIS
gunman Seifeddine Rezgui (pictured) in the Tunisian beach resort of
Sousse
In May
US special forces carried out a raid in eastern Syria that killed Abu
Sayyaf, a top Isis leader. His wife was captured and a female slave from
the Yazidi community was rescued.
Last
week the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon revealed ministers were
considering ordering bombing raids against ISIS strongholds in Syria as
early as September.
Mr
Fallon said it was 'illogical' for the RAF to be bombing ISIS in Iraq,
but not joining the American-led assault on their bases in neighbouring
Syria.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to the victims of the Tunisian terror attack during a minute's silence last week
He said: 'IS has to be defeated in both countries,' he said. 'It's evil in Iraq is being directed by its headquarters in Syria.'
Mr
Fallon said the prospect on fresh bombing raids would increase if it
emerges that the massacre of 30 British tourists in Tunisia last week
was ordered by the ISIS leadership in Syria.
'If
it does link back directly to IS in Syria then we will have to reflect
with the rest of the coalition how best we deal with that,' he said.
The
RAF has carried out more than 300 raids against ISIS positions in Iraq
since MPs backed military action last September following the beheading
of western hostages.
At
the time, ministers reluctantly agreed not to extend the bombing into
Syria after Labour, and many Tory backbenchers, signalled they would
vote it down. Mr Cameron pledged that MPs would get another vote before
bombing raids are launched in Syria.
But
Labour is now indicating it may reconsider its position. And ministers
believe the growing public revulsion about IS may persuade MPs to
support a fresh military campaign in Syria.
The
Prime Minister's official spokesman said 'a lot has changed' since last
September, particularly in the wake of the killings in Tunisia.
Mr Cameron spoke on Monday of the need to 'crush IS in Iraq and Syria'.
Last
night, Isis released a shocking video claiming to show teenage
assassins shooting dead 25 opposition soldiers in the ancient city of
Palmyra in Syria.
Isis said the men were soldiers captured in the city of Homs. They were shot in the head inside Palmyra's amphitheatre.
The terrorists captured the site along with the neighbouring city of Palmyra in May.
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