ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Belgium Ministry of Defense has released details of its role in the international coalition formed to battle the Islamic State, or ISIS, and has pledged to continue to train Iraqi troops.
“Since the beginning of the US-led coalition airstrikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Belgian warplanes have constituted five percent of the airstrikes, but we have not taken part in airstrikes in Syria,” the defense ministry announced on Saturday.
Lieutenant General Claude Van de Voorde, commander of the Belgian Air Force, issued specific details of the airstrikes at a press conference in Brussels.
“Upon the request of the Iraqi Army and the Peshmerga, we managed to destroy 107 ISIS arsenals and positions in Iraq,” Van de Voorde said.
“Belgian military advisers will continue to train Iraqi security forces.”
The Belgian government became part of the anti-ISIS coalition last year, and has sent at least 35 military trainers and advisers to work with Iraqi security forces and the Peshmerga.
On March 23, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) requested heavy weapons from Belgium during a session of the country's parliament attended by the KRG's representative to the European Union.
