British special forces have been pictured on the
front line in Syria, the first photographic
evidence of UK troops operating in the war-
ravaged country.
The images, obtained by the BBC, show British
special forces on the ground in Syria riding
open-air Thalab patrol vehicles which are
designed for harsh terrain.
Small numbers of UK troops have been
operating in Syria in an array of capacities
including surveillance, advisory and combat.
The BBC reported that the images, taken in
June, appear to show British troops defending a
militant base on the Syria-Iraq border which was
under attack by Daesh terrorists.
Nine so-called moderate militants were killed in
the attack on the southeastern al-Tanaf base.
The special forces were deployed in a defensive
role but were equipped with an arsenal of
weapons, including sniper rifles, machine guns
and anti-tank missiles.
The UK parliament has approved a campaign of
air strikes against Daesh in Syria but not ground
troops.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed
militancy it blames on some regional and
Western governments.
According to a February report by the Syrian
Center for Policy Research, the conflict has
claimed the lives of over 470,000 people since
March 2011.
The UK Department for International
Development (DFID), a British government
institution responsible for administering foreign
spending, estimates that about £5.1 million of
British aid for Syria may have ended up in the
hands of Daesh.
British authorities also say that at least 800 UK
nationals have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight
alongside the terror groups operating in those
countries.
Source: Press TV
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