Leading Islamic State member targeted by RAF Reaper drone, Wallace tells Commons
A "leading" member of so-called Islamic State (IS), who was involved in chemical and biological weapons, was targeted in an RAF drone strike in Syria, MPs have heard.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the Commons the strike took place in December, with two missiles fired, both of which "struck the target accurately".
Mr Wallace said: "In late December, an RAF Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft conducted a strike against a leading Daesh member in al-Bab northern Syria.
"The individual's activity was related to chemical and biological weapons.
"The Reaper's crew minimised potential risk to civilians before firing two Hellfire missiles, both of which struck the target accurately.
"Actions like these are vital to degrading… terrorist threat, protecting British citizens and supporting our international partners."
The IS group, also known as Daesh, once had a stronghold in north-east Syria.
Currently, several groups, including US-backed Kurdish-led forces as well as Syrian government troops with their Russian and Iranian allies, control the area. But the threat from IS remains.
The Ministry of Defence said in December: "On Tuesday 20 December, a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft kept close observation on a building near al-Bab in northern Syria where at least one active Daesh terrorist was known to be present.
"Great care was taken to ensure that any potential risks to civilians were understood and minimised before the Reaper's crew fired a salvo of two Hellfire missiles which both struck the target accurately."
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