Written question asked by Julian Lewis (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 December 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 January 2019. It was answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative) on Monday, 14 January 2019 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Military Aid: Counter-terrorism

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in how many countries the UK military is conducting counterterrorism operations; and in how many of those countries the UK is (a) conducting air and drone strikes, (b) deploying combat troops, (c) constructing or retaining military bases and (d) building the capacity of partners to conduct counterterrorism and other actions.

Answer: Air and Unmanned Aerial Systems strikes are being conducted in Iraq and Syria. The UK is conducting military counterterrorism operations or capacity building in 17 countries. Military personnel have been deployed on the ground but none of those personnel are employed in combat roles. The Ministry of Defence has not constructed nor is it retaining any military bases for the sole purpose of counterterrorism operations; UK forces use shared military establishments at the invitation of host governments or allies at a number of locations globally.

Secondary information