British troops will be ordered ‘outside the wire’ and sent off base in northern Iraq after the Defence Secretary told MPs today the war against ISIS was changing after the fall of Raqqa.
Sir Michael Fallon said British troops would now carry out their training mission ‘further forward’ and undertake ‘close protection’ duties at the Al-Asad Airbase.
The decision is thought likely to be the first time UK troops have been sent off base in Iraq since combat operations ended in the country in 2009.
The current mission was extended this summer with the deployment of Royal Engineers to Al-Asad in August, bringing the total UK deployment in Iraq to 600.
British forces have been deployed to train and support the Iraqi Army in the fight against ISIS since September 2014. They are not involved in front line war fighting.
The new patrols do not involve sending British personnel to the front lines but will see UK troops protecting the sprawling airbase from mortar attacks.
British routes will be sent ‘outside the wire’ on force protection patrols for a huge coalition base in northern Iraq, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon (pictured in the Commons today) told MPs today
Sir Michael Fallon’s announcement to MPs (pictured today) does not change the mission of soldiers deployed to train and support the Iraqi Army in the fight against ISIS
Sir Michael told MPs: ‘The campaign is now changing following the liberation of Raqqa and Mosul.
‘British forces will be training further forward and providing appropriate force protection in and around coalition bases.
‘I have today also authorised additional medical personnel to Al-Asad Airbase and extended the deployment of Royal Engineers there for a further six months.’
Members of the Royal Engineers were sent to the Al Asad base in August as coalition efforts to dislodge ISIS from northern Iraq and Syria were stepped up.
Defence sources told MailOnline the new patrols would see UK soldiers ‘outside the wire’ but would not place them on the front lines.
The force protection work to be taken on by British personnel had previously been carried out by other allies including the United States.
Coalition efforts are focused on breaking up ISIS troops after the terror group was finally dislodged from the Syrian city of Raqqa last week.
Syrian Defence Forces entered Raqqa last week for the first time since 2013 following an a drawn out siege
The Syrian city was subject to coalition bombardment while government troops tackled the terrorists on the ground
Members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) celebrated at a stadium that was the site of Islamic State fighters’ last stand in the city of Raqqa (pictured)
Around 120,000 members of the British armed forces and civilians served in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 but the UK’s combat role ended in April 2009.
During the operation 179 UK troops were killed.
The sprawling Al Asad air base houses a coalition of Iraqi, US, Danish and British troops.
The base, around 100 miles west of Baghdad, has been used by the British to train and mentor Iraqi forces taking on IS jihadis.
Meanwhile, RAF aircraft based in Akrotiri, Cyprus, meanwhile have carried out around 1400 strikes against IS as part of the international effort to destroy the terror group.