ULSTER Unionist MP Tom Elliott has said he will vote to bomb Syria if Prime Minister David Cameron asks for parliamentary approval in the House of Commons because “this is a war”.

129 people were killed and over 400 injured in a serious of shootings and explosions in Paris last Friday night by so-called Islamic State (IS), an international terror group notorious for its brutality.

The mass killings have sent shock waves around the world, including in Fermanagh, and tomorrow night (Friday) a vigil will be held in Enniskillen to show “solidarity” with the people of France.

And as the international debate rages, Sinn Fein’s Phil Flanagan says he does not consider IS as “terrorists” and believes bombing Syria, where IS is mostly based, “is not the answer.”

“I am not comfortable with the approach by the British establishment and other countries involved in invasion and colonial activities in the past in labelling organisations terrorists,” he said, adding that this term “demonised organisations”.

The Prime Minister has signalled that he will ask MPs, such as Mr. Elliott, to approve Britain launching air strikes on IS targets in Syria and promised to set out a “comprehensive strategy”.

Mr. Elliott, who ousted Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew from Westminster in May, says he would back the action but only if certain conditions were met.

“If intelligence shows specific targets then I think it is right to take affirmative action, but sending in ground troops without an exit strategy would be difficult to support,” he said.

While he said he could not back an “ongoing campaign” in Syria, Mr. Elliott said he would support “targeted action” and added: “I would support air strikes and bombing, including specialist forces.”

The Fermanagh-south Tyrone MP said he supports the government’s “shoot to kill” policy on British streets in the event of a Paris-style terror attack, and compared IS to the IRA.

“There are comparisons between the IRA and IS; they are both terrorists, they murder people. The IRA never blew themselves up because they never wanted casualties of their own. IS operate differently, they seem to be brain-washed. This is a war in itself,” said Mr. Elliott.

The potential air strikes and the shoot-to-kill policy have been condemned by some, including Sinn Fein’s Phil Flanagan who said: “I don’t know what IS want to achieve, but the solution is not to bomb towns and villages in Syria with innocent civilians in them.”