LONDON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Britain's House of Commons on Friday voted overwhelmingly in favor of supporting British air strikes against IS militants in Iraq.
After nearly seven hours of heated debate, the lawmakers voted by 524 to 43 - a government majority of 481 - to give the green light to military strikes against targets in Iraq.
However, the motion, tabled by the government, ruled out the deployment of British troops in ground combat operations.
British Prime Minister David Cameron demanded a recall of the parliament on Friday to debate on British involvement in United States-led air strikes in Iraq after the Iraqi government asked Britain to help fight the IS, also known as ISIL.
In his oral statement to the parliament, he said IS posed a threat to the "streets of Britain" and Britain had a "duty" to confront it militarily.
British House of Commons "recognizes the clear threat ISIL poses to the territorial integrity of Iraq and the request from the Government of Iraq for military support from the international community and the specific request to the UK Government for such support," the motion said.
It supported British government "in supporting the Government of Iraq in protecting civilians and restoring its territorial integrity, including the use of UK air strikes to support Iraqi, including Kurdish, security forces' efforts against ISIL in Iraq."
The motion also noted that it did not endorse British air strikes in Syria as part of the campaign and "any proposal to do so would be subject to a separate vote in Parliament."
On Tuesday, the prime minister supported the latest air strikes against ISIL carried out by the United States and five other countries from the Gulf and Middle East.
Britain is already offering military support, including supplying arms to the Kurds and providing surveillance operations by a squadron of Tornadoes and other Royal Air Force aircraft, according to Downing Street.
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