UK’s new aircraft carrier launches first strikes against Daesh
LONDON: The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has
launched its first direct military operation against Daesh.
British and American F-35B Stealth jets took off from the
decks of the new carrier to strike the terror group’s positions in Syria and
Iraq. Defense officials said several Daesh positions were destroyed.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace described the role of
the £3.5 billion ($4.8 billion) HMS Queen Elizabeth in the operation as “a
physical embodiment of global Britain.”
Kurdish groups have warned that the number of Daesh attacks
is rising. More than 20 Iraqi and Kurdish security force members have been
killed by the group in the last few months.
On Jan. 21, Baghdad suffered its deadliest suicide bombing
in three years, with 32 people killed and over 100 injured after an explosion
ripped through a market.
Warnings have also come from European allies, with French
Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly recently saying his country “considers
Daesh is still present, we could even say that there is a resurgence of Daesh
in Syria and Iraq.”
Wallace said: “The ability to operate from the sea with the
most advanced fighter jets ever created is a significant moment in our history,
offering reassurance to our allies and demonstrating the UK’s formidable air
power to our adversaries.”
Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group Cdre Steve
Moorhouse said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth’s first missions against Daesh will be
remembered as a significant moment in the 50-year lifespan of this ship. It
also marks a new phase of our current deployment ... Now we are ready to
deliver the hard punch of maritime-based air power against a shared enemy.”
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