The Royal Air Force has used Brimstone missiles against Isis in Syria for the first time, Downing Street has confirmed.

Four Brimstone missiles were deployed on two missions on Sunday. One missile was used against enemy positions near Raqqa, including targeting an Isis vehicle. Three Brimstone missiles were also used in an attack on the Omar oilfield on the same day. There were also three other RAF missions in Syria on Sunday that did not use Brimstone missiles, including striking enemy tunnels near Raqqa.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman declined to say whether the strikes had resulted in casualties, saying: “These will all have been focused on either targeting Daesh [Isis]’s resources or targeting Daesh terrorists who are seeking to destabilise Iraq, Syria and threatening other countries.”

She added: “This is part of the ongoing operation and work we are doing with coalition partners to defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria and we’ve always been clear that that’s going to take time, it’s going to require patience and persistence, but it reflects the fact that where we identify targets and an ability to strike them we will do all that we can to tackle Daesh.”

The Brimstone missile was widely touted by the government in the run-up to the vote in the Commons on extending airstrikes to Syria as being a unique British contribution. Ministers said that the missile’s accuracy meant that it was better placed in helping to avoid civilian casualties. In spite of this argument about how vital the Brimstone would be, the missile was only used in Syria on Sunday for the first time since the Commons vote on 2 December.

The number of RAF strikes in Syria has been small compared with Iraq: just over 10 as of last week, reflecting the paucity of targets. Following an initial burst of action after the vote in which the RAF mounted attacks on oil installations controlled by Isis, British Tornados, Typhoons and drones have been occupied mainly in Iraq.

The Brimstone, which is expensive with each missile costing about £100,000, was used on Sunday evening along with Hellfire missiles, which cost about £70,000, against mobile cranes being used by Isis to repair damage to the Omar oilfield inflicted previously by US-led coalition airstrikes, including the RAF.

The attack came hours after the RAF bombed two buildings near Isis stronghold Raqqa and a tunnel complex. A Reaper drone fired at an Isis position, also near Raqqa.

The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, said: “Britain is playing a key role in the fight against Daesh whether helping Iraqi ground forces retake Ramadi or by striking targets near its Raqqa heartland.”

Critics of the use of Brimstone in civilian areas argue that in spite of the claims of its accuracy, the explosion is still considerable, given it was initially intended to penetrate tanks, and that any civilians in the vicinity would be at risk. The MoD counters that pilots will not fire if there is a risk of civilians.







