Canada will withdraw its fighter jets from the air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced.
As part of his election campaign, Trudeau had promised to bring back the CF-18 fighter jets deployed to combat ISSIL.
The new prime minster has reportedly informed US President Barack Obama of his decision following the victory of Liberals in the recent election.
Trudeau was quoted in media reports as saying: "I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way that understands how important Canada’s role is to play in the fight against ISIL, but he understands the commitments I’ve made about ending the combat mission."
Currently, Canada has six CF-18 fighter jets deployed in support of the US-led international coalition effort against ISIL.
In addition, the country deployed around 70 Special Forces troops to train Kurds in northern Iraq, The Guardian reported.
However, Trudeau didn’t give a timeline for the withdrawal of the force.
Meanwhile, a statement from the White House read as: "The two leaders agreed on the importance of deepening the already strong United States-Canada relationship and committed to strengthening the countries’ joint efforts to promote trade, combat terrorism, and mitigate climate change."
In August, Denmark announced its decision to temporarily withdraw its Kuwait-based fighter jets supporting international coalition airstrikes against ISIL in northern Iraq.
Denmark Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen earlier said that this break will allow the aircraft to undergo repairs and the air force personnel to recover.
Image: Canada is expected to withdraw its CF-18 fighter jets from Iraq and Syria. Photo: courtesy of U.S. Navy photo by Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Swink.
