David Cameron says Syria air strikes will help bring about settlement

David Cameron has insisted British war planes will help to bring about a political settlement in Syria as opposition forces in the country claimed UK action "will not make a big difference".

More fighter jets were sent to RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus ahead of further sorties in Syria and continued raids in Iraq against Islamic State (IS), which is also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh.

But the Free Syrian Army claimed British intervention is "just a few more jets" over the course of a long campaign.

Bashar Assad's regime, meanwhile, denounced the mission as "noise and propaganda", claiming that any country that does not co-ordinate its attacks with the government "won't win the fight against terrorism".

During a visit to Bulgaria, Mr Cameron said: "We've now got more Tornados and more Typhoons in Cyprus ready to take action both over the skies of Iraq and over the skies of Syria because we have to defeat Daesh wherever it is.

"Bringing everyone around the table and trying to get a political settlement is absolutely crucial but we can't wait for that to happen before we start taking action against Daesh as we have after the vote and as we will continue to do."

He added: "The strikes actually help to bring about a political settlement because the strikes take the action to Daesh, which is everyone's enemy, and we do need to have a moderate opposition in Syria that can be part of the future government. So the political process and the action against Daesh to keep us safe at home go hand in hand."