Britain will become more involved in the battle against Islamic State militants, but ground troops will not be deployed into Iraq and Syria, the Defence Secretary said today. Michael Fallon said the UK's involvement against IS fighters in Iraq will continue to be in a supportive role, by RAF planes taking part in air strikes, and helping to arm Kurdish troops. The Defence Secretary said western countries had learned from previous conflicts that the war against Isis would only be won by 'home troops', but that Britain and the U.S. can support them. Defence Secretary: Michael Fallon said the UK's involvement against IS fighters in Iraq will continue to be in a supportive role, by RAF planes taking part in air strikes, and helping to arm Kurdish troops
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Michael Fallon says British involvement in Iraq will continue to be supportive
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Rules out ground troops and says fight is one for a 'home army'
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Says Middle East has a duty to prevent Iraq and Syria 'falling apart'
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Turkish 'buffer zone' along Syrian border is being considered
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Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Fallon say UK could help in Syria
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Ministers prepared to seek Parliamentary permission to extend British action into Syria if US Central Command considers it 'militarily useful'
Fear: @placeholder is threatening to overrun the lightly-armed Kurdish defenders of the town, which is close to the border with Turkey, despite United States air strikes on the extremists' position