Tri-Service

Cameron: Britain Committed To "Destroying" ISIS Caliphate

The Prime Minister says he wants Britain to "step up and do more", if he can secure the approval of parliament, as he prepares to issue a stark warning to home-grown would-be jihadists that IS want them as "cannon fodder".

In a speech he will set out what aides said would be "significant" elements of the Government's strategy to combat the threat from fundamentalist terrorism for the next five years.

The decision to invite Labour's interim leader Harriet Harman to a National Security Council briefing on the threat was seen as a further step to prepare the ground for a possible parliamentary vote to extend air strikes in the autumn.

But ministers will also be forced to explain why RAF pilots were allowed to take part in bombing raids over Syria despite MPs having voted against Britain carrying out strikes in the country.

Downing Street has confirmed that Mr Cameron was aware of the missions flown by a small number of aircrew embedded with US and Canadian forces despite parliament only authorising attacks on IS targets in neighbouring Iraq.

Asked directly in an interview for US television channel NBC if he planned to join the US-led air raids within Syria, he said: "Look, we know that we have to defeat Isil, we have to destroy this caliphate, whether it is in Iraq or in Syria.

"That is a key part of defeating this terrorist scourge that we face."