Belgium to send additional troops to fight against IS in Iraq

Belgium will send additional troops to Iraq to help in the fight against the terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS), writes De Morgen. In the short term, the federal government has decided to dispatch 14 Belgian soldiers to the front in Dingo armoured vehicles, following a proposal from defence minister Steven Vandeput.

Since February 2017, Belgian soldiers have supported Iraqi units in northern Iraq as part of advise-and-assist brigades, and Defence aims to further strengthen Belgium's presence in Iraq. "In the short term, 14 soldiers with military armoured vehicles, type Dingo, will be dispatched to reinforce the Belgian soldiers already present," confirms Vandeput.

Defence is also investigating whether more than 50 additional soldiers can be deployed in the fight against IS from 2018.