FOREIGN Secretary Philip Hammond stirred fears of mission creep in Syria and Iraq yesterday, suggesting that ground forces could be sent out into non-combat roles.

The Tory minister (pictured) told MPs that British troops could be deployed to support local ground forces fighting Islamic State (Isis) terrorists.

“We have ruled out the use of UK combat forces in Syria and indeed in Iraq,” he said.

“But we have not ruled out the provision of UK capabilities in support of combat forces provided by others.”

British command and control, logistics, surveillance, intelligence-gathering and analysis all could provide “a very substantial reinforcement to any troops that were deployed on the ground.”

A Downing Street spokeswoman insisted later that this would not break the motion on action in Syria passed in Parliament, which promised there would be “no British boots on the ground.”

But Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German said: “The statement by Hammond exposes yet again David Cameron’s claim that there are 70,000 moderate groups who can serve as ground troops for British air strikes.

“There are not, which is why increasingly Western forces are looking to put troops on the ground.

“Numbers may be small at first but this is an example of mission creep — an inevitable development following the air strikes which most acknowledge will have little effect.”

Speaking in a separate appearance before Parliament’s human rights committee, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that the RAF was planning to use drones for more controversial targeted killings.

Mr Fallon also refused to say whether so-called “jihadi brides” — women who have travelled from Britain to join Isis — are viewed as innocent civilians or combatant targets.