UK defence secretary: ‘We will not stop until Daesh is no more’

UK forces will not let up until Daesh has been completely defeated; that was the message from defence secretary Gavin Williamson to his Iraqi counterpart Erfan al-Hiyali when the two met in London recently.

Mr Williamson stressed Britain’s commitment to squashing the terrorist organisation telling Mr al-Hiyali: “We will not rest until we hammer the final nail in the terrorists’ coffin.

“While Daesh’s territory is diminishing, the threat they pose to our security at home and abroad through their evil and barbaric beliefs remains stark. That is why RAF jets continue to strike them in Iraq and Syria to eliminate the threat they pose to our way of life.”

Air chief marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, the RAF’s chief of the air staff, added that Daesh is losing control of its last remaining pockets of territory, but it continues to pose a threat within the region and globally.

Since mid-February, RAF typhoons, tornadoes and reapers have destroyed armoured vehicles, terrorist bases, weapon stores and disrupted supply routes, including a tunnel used by the terrorists as a weapons cache.

The RAF has carried out nearly 1,700 airstrikes against Daesh in Iraq and Syria since 2014.