US drones hunt Isis leader in Syria

President Barack Obama's speech and decisions on Isis come around the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, commemorated by the Tribute in Light from the site of the World Trade Centre. Photo / AP

Obama’s speech expected to prime Americans for a tougher line against militants.

American drones are being flown over the Syrian stronghold of Isis (Islamic State) for the first time, in an effort to target the jihadi group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Residents of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa have taken photographs and video of remotely piloted planes that Western weapons experts identified as American Predators, the drones used in Pakistan and Yemen to attack suspected terrorists.

The US has not said publicly that it is flying drones over Syria, and the sightings over Raqqa are the first indication that it is doing so.

The reports are the clearest sign yet that President Barack Obama has changed his policy on Isis, stepping up reconnaissance of its positions as the US works to assemble an international coalition to fight the jihadists.

The US President is to give a speech tomorrow - in the US the eve of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks - preparing the American public for a campaign against Isis.

US officials said Obama would go on the offensive with a broader counterterror mission than he had previously been willing to embrace.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said nations around the world were seeking to defeat the militants with a coalition "built to endure for the months, and perhaps years, to come".

Officials say the more aggressive posture will target Isis beyond protecting US interests or helping to resolve humanitarian disasters.

Obama will still not commit US troops to a ground war and will rely heavily for now on allies to pitch in.

Diplomatic efforts to gain support were boosted yesterday when Iraq's Parliament voted to approve a new Government aimed at winning broad backing against Isis, with Haider al-Abadi as Prime Minister.

Abadi, a member of Iraq's Shia majority whose candidacy was backed by the US, has promised to include members of the Sunni minority and Kurds in his Government.

The attempt to heal sectarian rifts is seen as vital to undermining Isis' appeal in the Sunni heartlands, where disaffection with the previous Shia-dominated Government assisted the extremist Islamist group in its rise.

The Pentagon said it had "not yet conducted any strikes against targeted individuals", but refused to rule out the possibility that it was using drones for surveillance.

Several residents of Raqqa and Isis jihadists photographed a white drone, saying it flew low over the city for most of Saturday and again on Sunday. Experts said they believed the aircraft was an unarmed MQ1 Predator on a reconnaissance flight.

Killing Baghdadi would be a major coup for Obama, who has been widely criticised for not taking sufficiently tough action against Isis. But the effect of the death of its leader on the group is less certain. Baghdadi is at the apex of an elaborate hierarchy, with a "cabinet" of deputies who manage military operations and domestic governance.

Former CIA counter-terrorism analyst Aki Peritz predicted that Obama would order a strike against Baghdadi if the opportunity arose.

"The US is already exerting lethal force against the Islamic State," he said. "If it had the opportunity to take its top dog off the battlefield, it would pull the trigger." Telegraph Group Ltd, AP