On 30 June 2015 , David Cameron made repeated calls for airstrikes in Syria , following the 2015 Sousse attacks , perpetrated by ISIL , which left 30 Britons dead . These calls were echoed by the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon , who claimed that there was an " illogicality " of British forces observing the Iraq-Syria border whilst ISIL did not . Michael Fallon stated that the UK did not need the backing of Parliament to launch airstrikes in Syria , but the House of Commons would have the final say . On 19 July 2015 , during a television interview with NBC , David Cameron stated that Britain was committed to destroying the caliphate in both Iraq and Syria
2015 Sousse attacks
2015 Sousse attacks
Operation Shader