Breaking news
Belgium will extend combat missions with F-16 fighter aircraft against ISIS from Iraq into Syria 11505164.
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Defence & Security News - Belgium
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| Belgium will extend combat missions with F-16 fighter aircraft against ISIS from Iraq into Syria | |||
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Belgium will extend combat missions of F-16 fighter aircraft against Islamic State group jihadists in Iraq into Syria, the government said on Friday, May 13, 2016. Belgium launched its first attacks against the IS group in Iraq in late 2014 as part of the US-led coalition.
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 Belgian F-16 fighter aircraft on a Jordanian military air base (Source downeastblog) |
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"In accordance with UN Resolution 2249, the engagement will be limited to those areas of Syria under the control of ISIS and other terrorist groups," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Charles Michel.
American Defense Secretary Ash Carter lauded Belgium’s announcement that it will begin conducting airstrikes in Syria as part of the coalition air campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. “Belgium is an important member of the coalition, and this contribution comes at a key moment in the campaign,” the secretary said. “Belgian aircraft played a key role in the air campaign over Iraq from October 2014 to June 2015. As they return to Operation Inherent Resolve as part of a scheduled rotation with the Dutch military, Belgian F-16s now will operate with greater flexibility and coherence of effort as a result of the decision to conduct strikes in Syria as well.” Belgian Defence Minister Steven Vandeput said that 6 Belgian F-16 fighter jets will be deployed in a Jordanian military base to perform air strikes not only in Iraq but also in Syria. According to the U.S. State Department, there are currently 66 participants in the coalition, including Afghanistan, Albania, the Arab League, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Each country is contributing to the coalition in a manner commensurate with its national interests and comparative advantage. Contributions include both military and non-military assistance, although reporting on non-military contributions tends to be sporadic, as many countries donate humanitarian assistance directly to local governments or non-governmental organizations operating on the ground. |
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