Govt 'Building The Case' For Syria Strikes

The Government is "building the case" for airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria, the Defence Secretary has told Sky News.

Michael Fallon said when there is "consensus" among the new MPs in parliament then the issue will be put to a House of Commons vote.

The Government is approaching the issue cautiously after a vote on military intervention against Bashar al Assad's regime in 2013 left David Cameron with a bloody nose after his Labour adversary led a defeat on the matter.

Mr Fallon said: "Isil is organised and directed in headquarters in northeast Syria. That's where its command and control is, its logistics - its planning and the supply routes into Iraq - and that is being targeted now by American aircraft, French aircraft, Australian aircraft as part of the campaign against Isil, which does not recognise the borders between Iraq and Syria.

"We need to have agreement from Parliament to strike in Syria so we are building the case among MPs in the new Parliament to enable us to do that and when we have a consensus, that would give us a majority, then we will go to Parliament and have the vote."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he will not support military intervention in Syria but has indicated he would give Labour MPs a free vote on the matter.

A number of prominent members of the shadow cabinet have suggested they would be prepared to support extending airstrikes to Syria.

The SNP has also said it does not support further action in Syria.

Mr Fallon has admitted the situation has been complicated by Russia's intervention, which both he and the Prime Minister have described as propping up the "butcher" Assad.

The Defence Secretary claims that only one in 20 of the strikes carried out by Russia had been on IS targets - the remainder had hit innocent citizens and legitimate opposition groups.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Fallon said that attacks had been in a different part of the country from IS command and control centres.

Mr Cameron has urged Russia to join forces and focus on defeating IS, rather than helping Assad.