The plan came after the Dutch government received a request from the United States and France to widen its air campaign against Daesh after the group launched a deadly attack in the French capital of Paris in November 2015.
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“Only by taking away ISIS’s safe havens in Iraq and Syria can we prevent more attacks”, he argued. “And particularly we will have our F-16s being more efficiently deployed, also having them active on the Syrian part of the conflict particularly hitting, for example, training centers and other facilities which will replenish the capacity of ISIL to be active on the Iraqi side of the conflict”, said Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister.
“I am grateful for Minister Hennis-Plasschaert’s immediate action following last week’s meeting, and for the continuing commitment from the Dutch people to this fight”.
A Dutch squadron of six F-16 fighter jets is already stationed in the region, but was so far been limited to striking positions held by the extremists in Iraq.
The four Dutch F-16 jet fighters which have been pounding IS jihadists in Iraq since October 2014 would ‘remain active until July 1 over the enlarged zone, ‘ the government statement said.
“We are convinced that only a consistent approach can bring back stability in Iraq and Syria”, Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said.
The move comes days after the coalition government’s Labour Party partner agreed to Dutch warplanes participating in Syria.
But he insisted bombing was not the whole solution in such a “complex conflict” in Syria as President Bashar al-Assad battles to stay in power, fighting both ISIS and moderate opposition rebels backed by the West.
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Assistance to the Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga forces would continue, he added.
