SYDNEY: Australia said yesterday that it would help the United States in an international effort to transport weapons to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq.
“The United States government has requested that Australia help to transport stores of military equipment, including arms and munitions, as part of a multi-nation effort,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.
“Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster aircraft will join aircraft from other nations including Canada, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and the United States to conduct this important task.”
The announcement came as Australia joined the US military in dropping humanitarian aid to the besieged Iraqi town of Amerli, where thousands of Shia Turkomen have been cut off by jihadist rebels from receiving food, water and medical supplies.
Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin said that 15 pallets of food, water and hygiene packs — enough for 2,600 people for a day — were dropped by a C-130 earlier yesterday.
He added that the delivery by Australia of arms and munitions “from Eastern Bloc countries” to the Kurdish peshmerga would take place “in the coming days”, and in their case would involve handovers on the ground rather than airdrops. Albania, Croatia and Denmark have also committed to providing Kurdish forces with arms and equipment, the US said.
AFP
