Singapore to join combat coalition against Islamic State militants

SINGAPORE: Singapore will join 33 other nations in a multinational coalition to combat the Islamic State terror group, country's Defence Minister said today.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has previously participated in multinational coalition efforts against religious extremists who pose a terrorist threat to the country and its citizens, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said .

"Singapore has fought against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and it will continue to participate in such efforts," Ng said in Parliament.

Responding to a question from a Member of Parliament on how SAF would contribute to the coalition, Ng said it's contribution would be "within its means" and "sustainable and useful".

"This includes sending liaison and planning officers to the United States Central Command and the Combined Joint Task Force HQ, a KC-135R tanker aircraft for air-to-air refuelling, and an Imagery Analysis Team, assets that were previously deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

These contributions have proved effective and were appreciated by international partners, he added.

There would be no SAF troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria; they would instead operate out of neighbouring countries, Ng said.

"There will be risks to our SAF servicemen as they carry out their missions. To mitigate these risks, we will ensure that our servicemen are well equipped, and receive additional training in weapon handling, dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), as well as reacting to hostile elements," Ng was quoted as saying by the Channel News Asia.

The IS militants have captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. It is a splinter group of the al-Qaeda which has distanced itself from the outfit, chiding it for its aggressive and brutal expansion.

The IS gained international attention in August, when its fighters and those from other militant groups swept through the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, then overran swaths of territory north and west of Baghdad.