A variety of Defence stories are featured in the news today.
UK airstrikes
The Daily Telegraph and The Sun reveal that Britain has killed nearly 400 Daesh terrorists in RAF air strikes in Iraq. The Defence Secretary is quoted in both papers to say that it is important that British armed forces take this action and report that around 154 militants have been struck down by British RAF planes and drones in the last five months alone.
The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
Daesh is a brutal terrorist organisation. We have seen British hostages beheaded, British citizens murdered on a beach in Tunisia and it is plotting terror on our streets. That’s why the action our armed forces are taking to combat it is so important.
Iraqi compensation
There is coverage of yesterday’s Court of Appeal ruling which has barred Iraqi civilians from suing the UK for compensation over alleged mistreatment by British troops after the 2003 invasion in The Express, The Times, Daily Star, Daily Mail and The Sun. The papers suggest the ruling has immediately been hailed as “a victory for common sense”.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
The Department welcomes the decision of the Court of Appeal as it serves to safeguard taxpayer interests in the face of hundreds of compensation claims which have appeared many years after the alleged incidents to which they refer.
Flooding
Following the flooding in Cumbria and Lancashire, flooding stories continue to feature across the media, with many of the broadcasters looking at how communities are looking to clear up and get back to normal. The Army continues to help Local Authorities with the after effects; 10 teams from the Royal Engineers have completed a triage of 119 critical bridges across the area, and two further specialist teams are providing more detailed reports. Currently a Company from 2LANCS is deployed in Carlisle, conducting search tasks in the town, as well as in Appleby. We are now looking at how the military can help the clean-up operation.
Michael Adebolajo
The Sun says that Michael Adebolajo, one of the killers of Fuslier Lee Rigby, is suing for compensation after two of his teeth were knocked out in jail. The paper reports that he hopes to receive £20,000 of taxpayers' money.
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