The so-called caliphate where ISIS jihadists plotted attacks against Britain has been ‘crushed’, the Prime Minister declared today.
Speaking to troops at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Theresa May said the barbaric group no longer held significant territory in Iraq and Syria.
She thanked RAF personnel for their efforts in protecting British citizens at home, adding: ‘You are quite simply the pride of our nation.’
Speaking to troops at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus today, Theresa May said the barbaric group no longer held significant territory in Iraq and Syria
The PM visited military personnel on the last day of her whistle-stop tour of the region before flying home for Christmas
The PM visited military personnel on the last day of her whistle-stop tour of the region before flying home for Christmas.
The Cyprus base is where Typhoon and Tornado jets armed with 500lb bombs and precision-guided Brimstone missiles are stationed. They carry out the deadly bombing raids wiping out jihadists in Iraq and Syria.
The Premier said: ‘Here in Cyprus you are at the epicentre of so much of our military activity in the region.’
RAF personnel have conducted more than 1,600 airstrikes against IS targets since the mission began three years ago.
The PM said the UK military had helped both fight the terror group and prevent its re-emergence.
She said: ‘Let’s be clear just what a difference that has made.
‘Just three years ago Daesh declared a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, a safe haven in which to carry out the most barbaric acts and from which to plot murder on our streets at home.
‘But today, thanks in very large part to your efforts, the so-called caliphate has been crushed and no longer holds significant territory in Iraq or Syria.’
She added: ‘You should be incredibly proud of that achievement.’
But she said the war was not over and the military must continue to ‘deal directly with the threat they still pose in the region’.
She warned: ‘As Daesh seeks new ungoverned spaces from which to plot and carry out attacks it is not just in those spaces that security is at stake but in the UK too.
‘So it is vital we support the stability of our partners across the Middle East.’
Paying tribute to their hard-work, Mrs May said: ‘It is you, your professionalism, your courage and your sacrifices that give meaning to the pledges we make as a nation.
‘It is you who take down our enemies and stand by our allies when the going gets tough.’
The Prime Minister said that the UK military had helped both fight the terror group and prevent its re-emergence
Mrs May warned that the war was not over and the military must continue to ‘deal directly with the threat they still pose in the region’
Around 100 troops stationed at the base watched as the PM made the speech with two of the UK’s warplanes stationed behind her.
She added: ‘Every one of you here today is part of one of the greatest military forces in the world.’
She said she wanted to lead the nation in raising the national consciousness and promoting global Britain. The PM pointed out that next year will mark the centenary of the end of the First World War and also of the Air Force.
She added: ‘I hope that as a nation in this special year ahead we can collectively raise the national consciousness of the work that you do and the sacrifices you make in the service of others.
‘As Prime Minister I will do everything I can to lead the nation in this endeavour for you are quite simply the pride of our nation and that is how you should be treated.’