Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has confirmed that Australian aircraft have dropped bombs on ISIS targets in Syria for the first time.
The mission was initiated two days ago.
“An Australian hornet fighter aircraft destroyed a Daesh armoured personnel carrier with a precision guided missile,” Mr Andrews said.

“This is part of our logical extension in the fight against Daesh to operate not just over northern Iraq but also to operate over eastern Syria in order to degrade and destroy the Daesh forces.”

News of the incident first broke with a statement issued by the Combined Joint Task Force office in control of Operation Inherent Resolve — the allied bombing campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Russia is reportedly renovating an old Syrian air base to hold its own military aircraft in support of the embattled regime of Syria’s President Assad, and will likely make coalition operations against Islamic State all the more complex.

“Our aircraft are operating on an almost daily basis,” Mr Andrews continued.

“The Hornets at the moment, the wedge tail command-and-control aircraft and the refueller.

“Because this was the first mission that has actually been successful over eastern Syria, I thought it was important to advise of it.”

Mr Andrews said he would be providing a full ministerial update on Australia’s operations in the Middle East in the parliament today.

Following Malcolm Turnbull’s election as Prime Minister, there has been speculation that Education Minister Christopher Pyne will get the Defence portfolio.

Source: NEWS.com.au, Sky News