Denmark withdraws jets from Iraq and Syria anti-IS missions

Denmark withdraws jets from Iraq and Syria anti-IS missions
Danish F-16 fighter jets are being withdrawn from US-led operation against the Islamic State group after six months of action.
1 min read
03 December, 2016
Danish jets have been striking IS targets in Syria and Iraq for six months [Getty]

Denmark is withdrawing its fighter jets from Syria and Iraq, and will instead contribute training and analysis teams to the anti-Islamic State group coalition.

"We are pulling our airplanes out as planned. We have offered the coalition extra help with some construction and engineer troops," Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said on Friday after a meeting in the foreign political council.

Seven F-16 fighter jets have been in action for six months as part of the US-led operation "Inherent Resolve". Denmark said when it joined the mission in June it would review the operation after six months.

"It has been assessed whether it would make sense from economical and practical considerations (to extend the mission)... the conclusion has been that it makes no sense, so we just stick to the plan," Samuelsen said.

On Monday, a US military investigation said Danish war planes were involved in a 17 September coalition air strike, where a series of "unintentional human errors" killed fighters aligned with the Syrian regime instead of the targeted IS militants.

The minister made no mention of the incident in his statement.