A number of Defence stories are covered in today’s media, including further focus on the Syrian city of Aleppo, with UNICEF suggesting nearly two million people are without water following the most recent day of air strikes, the continued fight against Daesh, and the Defence Secretary’s determination to end the ‘witch hunt’ against British troops by introducing a time limit on allegations, some of which, he says, are clearly manufactured.
DAESH
As the UK marks the second anniversary of the UK voting in favour of airstrikes against Daesh, a wide range of papers update on the progress made against Daesh, and write that RAF jets are hitting Daesh hideouts hard ahead of a bid to retake Mosul. Articles, including in The Times, Daily Express, The Sun, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Mirror and The Herald report that the UK is carrying out an ever-growing number of airstrikes in northern Iraq as preparations continue for a decisive battle next month for control of Mosul. Several papers focus on the angle that jihadist fighters, under pressure and losing ground, have tried to shoot down RAF jets with surface-to-air missiles on several occasions, but in vain. Reports add that RAF Tornado and Typhoon pilots have used flares - and skilful flying - to evade the missiles, before calling in further strikes on the Daesh positions. The Express article focuses on the angle that RAF jets destroyed $1 billion of Daesh cash, hitting their funds hard.
You can read more here.
IHAT
The Telegraph reports that the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has promised criminal inquiries into troops will never be repeated in the future as the Government will set a time limit after which no new cases can be brought. The paper also reports that Mr Fallon has assured the Government will foot the legal bills of any soldier charged.
The Daily Mail writes that the Defence Secretary has also has defended the taxpayer-funded inquiry into British soldiers as a way of preventing them from facing prosecution at The Hague.
RUSSIA
The Times and The Sun report on the Defence Secretary’s calls for Russia to come clean over the suspected Russian air strike on a Syrian aid convoy, and should it have been a deliberate attack, Russian commanders should be prosecuted at the Hague.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Two Typhoons and Two Tornados Deployed on Op Shader refuel in the skys over Iraq.
Follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to sign up for email alerts.