Jeremy Corbyn claims RAF drone strike in Syria was 'legally questionable'

Strike killed Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin in the Isis stronghold of Raqqah

The drone strike which killed Britons Reyaad Khan (pictured) and Ruhul Amin in the Isis stronghold of Raqqah was justified on the grounds of “self-defence”

The RAF drone strike that killed suspected British jihadis in Syria this month was “legally questionable”, Jeremy Corbyn has claimed.

David Cameron has indicated he could seek Parliament’s formal approval to extend the bombing campaign against Isis from Iraq into Syria.

Mr Corbyn, chairman of the Stop the War coalition, told Channel 4 News: “We [don’t know] what’s going to happen. … What we do know is that [Mr Cameron] authorised drone attacks, which is legally questionable.”

The Labour leader called for a diplomatic drive designed to end the violence in Syria, where forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, rebels opposed to his rule and Isis extremists have torn the country apart.

“I’m in no way a supporter of the Assad government or Isis. … But if we go into a bombing campaign people are going to die; people are going to be injured. There may well not be a solution to the whole problem as a result.”

Setting out his preferred response, he said: “We give all the support we can to refugees at the present time; we look for a political development and solution in the whole area. We involve all the neighbouring countries … and we involve Russia in this as well, as well as the US and the European Union and [we look] for a very rapid political development in the area.”

The drone strike which killed Britons Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin in the Isis stronghold of Raqqah was justified on the grounds of “self-defence”, Mr Cameron had told MPs, adding that the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, had agreed there was a “clear legal basis”.

Mr Corbyn added that the UK should be prepared to take a quota of migrants recommended by Brussels.

“I think it is a great mistake that Britain didn’t join the European Union refugee programme when it should have done three years ago, because we have a responsibility under the Geneva Convention to take people who are victims of oppression, war and all those awful things, and we should take our share,” he said.

Press Association