Sunday, August 31, 2014

Abbott: Australian military aircraft to fly guns and ammunition to northern Iraq to help Kurds fight IS militants

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said a military aircraft will soon fly guns and ammunition to the northern Iraqi city of Irbil to help Kurds fight Islamic State militants as part of a U.S.-led multination mission.

Abbott said his government would join the United States, Britain, Canada, France and Italy in delivering rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and assault rifle ammunition at the request of the U.S. and Iraqi governments.

Abbott also confirmed that Australia has participated in a humanitarian airdrop to the besieged town of Amerli in northern Iraq.

However, independent member of parliament Andrew Wilkie condemned the decision to fly guns and ammunition to help the Kurds.

Australia estimates 60 of its citizens are fighting for the Islamic State group and another al-Qaida offshoot, Jabhat al-Nursa, also known as the Nusra Front, in Iraq and Syria.

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