Written question asked by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Monday, 12 October 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 October 2015 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Thursday, 15 October 2015. A substantive answer was provided by Lord Hammond of Runnymede (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 October 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Islamic State

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of coalition air strikes on (a) the extent of the territory held by ISIL/Daesh and (b) that group's capacity to advance in (i) Iraq and (ii) Syria.

Answer: The Coalition has carried out more than 8,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. Coupled with Iraqi ground troops’ operations, these have meant ISIL’s advances have been halted and 30% of the territory ISIL held in Iraq after its advance last summer has been regained. In Syria, Coalition airpower helped Kurdish forces retake Kobane and push ISIL back towards Raqqa. US Central Command, which coordinates Coalition airstrikes against ISIL, assesses that as of 8 Oct 2015, Coalition military action had destroyed or damaged over 13,500 ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria, including nearly 4,000 fighting positions. These are significant blows for an organisation whose strength prior to the launch of Coalition action emanated from its continued expansion and a false aura of invincibility.

Secondary information