Britain will not rule out bombing Isis in Lebanon, says Hammond

Britain is prepared to consider airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Lebanon to prevent the jihadists from claiming another foothold on the Mediterranean, Philip Hammond said.

Speaking during a visit to a Lebanese army special forces training base in the north of the country today, the foreign secretary said that Lebanon was Europe’s “first line of defence” against Isis. “We very much regard the survival and success of the Lebanese state as a vital part of the security architecture not only of the region but also the security architecture that protects us in Europe.”

The Lebanese army mans a line