Britain uses Brimstone missiles for first time in Syria

LONDON - Britain carried out several air strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria on Sunday, deploying its Brimstone missiles for the first time there, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday.

Britain joined U.S.-led air strikes against IS in Syria late last year but has been criticised for conducting few operations, which largely targeted oil fields. "We saw five new attacks by RAF forces in Syria, targeting a Daesh (IS) vehicle near Raqqa, enemy tunnels also near Raqqa and the Omar oil field. As part of these strikes the Brimstone missiles were also deployed," the spokeswoman told reporters.

Britain says its Brimstone missiles, which are designed to hit fast-moving targets and have already been used by Britain's Tornado jets in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, should bolster the fight against IS by delivering so-called surgical strikes that minimise civilian casualties.