Saudi fighter jets deployed to Turkey’s NATO base

Saudi Arabia has sent aircraft to Turkey’s Incirlik NATO air base for the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. Alternative sources suggest that other targets will be the Kurds and the government forces of Assad.

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Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri, adviser in the office of Saudi Arabia’s minister of defence, told that the kingdom was committed to stepping up the fighting against ISIL and the move was part of those efforts. He also said the current presence in the air base was limited to aircraft and no ground troops had been sent.

Saudi Arabia has resumed its participation in air strikes against ISIL in recent weeks and US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Thursday welcomed its commitment to expand its role and hoped that it can boost the tackle against Assad and Kurdish resistance.

Earlier this month, Riyadh said it is prepared to deploy ground troops to Syria to fight ISIL if US-led coalition leaders agree to the offer.

Russia warned last week that foreign troops sent into the Syrian sovereign country could trigger the World War.

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Full article: AlJazeera