They are supporting the New Syrian Army rebel group near al-Tanf.
A photo appearing to show British special forces operating near al-Tanf in Syria in June BBC.
Photos have emerged appearing to show British special forces operating in Syria in support of rebels fighting Isis.
The images, obtained by the BBC,
show around a dozen commandos riding long-range patrol vehicles and
armed with sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles and artillery.
They were photographed near al-Tanf, where the UK is supporting the New Syrian Army (NSA) as it fights to push Isis back from strategic territory near the borders with Iraq and Jordan.
The rebel group has been repeatedly targeted by fighters from the
so-called Islamic State using car bombs and ambushes in battles to
control a border crossing and al-Hamdan Airbase .
British special forces were spotted alongside the NSA in June,
shortly after around nine of the moderate rebels were killed in an Isis
assault.
Unlike regular army troops, they do not need Parliamentary approval
to be deployed and the presence of covert operatives in Syria has never
been confirmed by the Government.
The NSA is understood to have received training, weapons and
equipment from the Pentagon as well as intensive air support from the
US-led coalition.
Russian planes hit its base with cluster munitions
in two air strikes in June, prompting a diplomatic row after American
fighter jets attempted to prevent the strike and instructions over a
special communications channel to avoid mid-air confrontations were
ignored.
An
image showing what appears to be the tail of a RBK-500 cluster
munition following Russian air strikes
on US-backed rebels in al-Tanf,
Syria, on 16 June 2016 (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
Colonel Christopher Garver, spokesman for the anti-Isis Operation
Inherent Resolve, said the NSA was attempting to drive militants out of
the border city of al-Bukamal and cut Isis supply lines and the flow of
foreign fighters along the Euphrates River.
It was among the groups receiving training at coalition-run camps in
Jordan and has reportedly been equipped with state-of-the-art American
weaponry.
The NSA, which opposes President Bashar al-Assad, is drawn from local
Syrians and believed to include elite former special forces commandos
who defected from the regime’s army.
The group said coalition air strikes hit Isis positions in al-Bukamal
on Tuesday morning, “dealing a devastating blow to Daesh” by destroying
83 oil tankers.
On Sunday, NSA fighters said they successfully intercepted Isis
fighters and blew up one of the group’s car bombs during an attempted
assault on al-Tanf.
The RAF is continuing to provide air support in the region, with two
Tornados targeting a convoy of Isis oil tankers near al-Bukamal on
Sunday.
Britain is also supporting the predominantly Kurdish Syrian
Democratic Forces group as it pushes Isis back near Manbij in northern
Syria.
The Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of 75 military
personnel to train Syrian rebels as part of a US-led programme last
year.
It said thousands of opposition fighters would be equipped to “help
them defend Syrian communities against Isis’ brutal attacks before
leading offensives themselves” in Turkey and other countries in the
region.
The MoD told The Independent it does not comment on special forces operations and would not confirm the NSA was among the groups it supports.
British special forces are also said to be fighting against Isis in Iraq and Libya
The RAF is continuing to provide air support in the region, with two
Tornados targeting a convoy of Isis oil tankers near al-Bukamal on
Sunday.
Britain is also supporting the predominantly Kurdish Syrian
Democratic Forces group as it pushes Isis back near Manbij in northern
Syria.
The Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of 75 military
personnel to train Syrian rebels as part of a US-led programme last
year.
It said thousands of opposition fighters would be equipped to “help
them defend Syrian communities against Isis’ brutal attacks before
leading offensives themselves” in Turkey and other countries in the
region.
The MoD told The Independent it does not comment on special forces operations and would not confirm the NSA was among the groups it supports.
British special forces are also said to be fighting against Isis in Iraq and Libya.
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Colonel Christopher Garver, spokesman for the anti-Isis Operation
Inherent Resolve, said the NSA was attempting to drive militants out of
the border city of al-Bukamal and cut Isis supply lines and the flow of
foreign fighters along the Euphrates River.
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