Fight Against Islamic State May Extend Into Syria

British forces will "ultimately" need to fight Islamic State militants beyond Iraqi borders, according to Iain Duncan Smith.

Speaking at a fringe meeting at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, the Work and Pensions Secretary said Cabinet ministers believe strikes against Syrian targets will also be necessary.

"I believe ultimately that is exactly what we will have to do ... The Prime Minister believes that. He said as much in his speech," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The UK is supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling Sunni Muslim extremists from IS, which has taken over large parts of Iraq in recent months.

Despite IS also seizing territory in Syria, a vote in Parliament on Friday did not include the authorisation of airstrikes over the country.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF has carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq. (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

Mr Duncan Smith said: "There was absolute unity around the Cabinet table, including the Liberal Democrats as well, all basically saying the same thing: that the complete package is ultimately having to deal with ISIL [a former name of IS], not ISIL in one place.

"The reality, I have to be honest with you, is that it is a Labour issue, it is an issue for the Labour Party.

"We need to carry the House of Commons on these things and so the answer here is that Labour decided that frankly this was not a step they wanted to take, so it conditions what we are doing."

The comments come after footage was released of the moment an RAF Tornado destroyed an Islamic State truck in the first round of British airstrikes against militants in Iraq.

Video: Tornado Returns From Strike Mission

Two fighter-bombers carried out the aerial raids in support of Kurdish troops who were being attacked by IS insurgents in the northwest of the country.

The Tornados hit a heavy weapons post that was endangering Kurdish forces and also struck an armed pick-up truck in the same area, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

It was the seventh combat mission for the RAF since the Tornado GR4 jets took to the skies on Saturday after the UK Parliament gave the green light for aerial attacks over Iraq a day earlier.

The Tornados identified the truck which had a mounted machine-gun and the vehicle was destroyed using a Brimstone missile. Footage of the strike was released by the Ministry of Defence.

Video: IS Threat: Baghdad 'Crisis Point'

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said he believed the UK raids happened in the Iraqi town of Rabia on the border with Syria.

He said the strikes were at the time that the peshmerga were taking the area back.

"It's a very significant town. It's where IS have been moving supplies to their people. There's trade, there's oil," he said.

"I think it's likely it was there because there was a fight taking place which means the RAF were able to identify targets. They were called in by the peshmerga and they were able to destroy them (IS targets)."

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1. Gallery: RAF Tornados Pictured In Mission Over Iraq

   RAF Tornado GR4s were pictured over Iraq as they began their armed combat mission in support of Operation Shader

2. The images were taken as the Tornados were being refuelled in mid-air by a RAF Voyager aircraft

3. The Ministry of Defence says the Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq

4. They are supporting the US military in its efforts to target Islamic State militants

5. The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday

6. In both missions the fighter bombers did not use their weapons

7. But the Ministry of Defence said "invaluable intelligence" had been gathered using the planes' surveillance equipment

8. Click on to see more photos of the Tornados in action...

The Ministry of Defence said: "Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircraft have been in action over Iraq as part of the international coalition's operations to support the democratic Iraqi government in the fight against ISIL.

"In the course of an armed reconnaissance mission from RAF Akrotiri, two Tornados were tasked to assist Kurdish troops in northwest Iraq who were under attack from ISIL terrorists.

"An initial assessment indicates that both precision strikes were successful."

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