UK MPs debate ISIL airstrikes in Iraq

British lawmakers have begun debating a vote on whether or not the UK should join the US-led airstrikes against the ISIL Takfiri group in Iraq.

Prime Minister David Cameron opened the debate at the House of Commons on Friday aimed at receiving an approval for British military action in the Middle Eastern country.

During his opening speech, Cameron warned that the campaign could last for years and suggested that he would be prepared to extend the military action without asking parliament in advance for approval.

Cameron also claimed that there was no legal barrier to intervening in Syria, adding, “ISIL needs to be destroyed in Syria as well as Iraq.”

The prime minister added that the ISIL threat cannot be rolled back by airstrikes alone and Iran has a role to play in helping to defeat the terrorists.

British lawmakers are likely to approve the motion in a vote later on Friday, as it is backed by both the main opposition parties and the government.

Meanwhile, reports said British jets are ready to begin bombing ISIL positions pending the vote.

France recently joined the United States and five Arab countries – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan – in carrying out airstrikes against the ISIL. In addition, Belgium and the Netherlands are also expected to deploy fighter jets in the coming weeks.

The ISIL terrorists control large areas of Syria’s east and north. The ISIL sent its Takfiri militants into Iraq in June, seizing large parts of land straddling the border between Syria and Iraq.

According to a CIA source, more than 15,000 foreign fighters from more than 80 countries have gone to Syria to join militant groups. Two thousand of the fighters are believed to be Westerners, including at least 500 British nationals.

CAH/HMVSS