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Norwegian parliament gives green light to sending troops to Syria

Xinhua, June 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Norway's parliament has given its consent to send the Nordic country's troops to support local groups in Syria if necessary, news agency NTB reported on Wednesday.

Local military forces fighting the Islamic State (IS) in Syria has had more progress than expected and "that is why it is relevant that the coalition forces train, advise and provide operational support to local groups," Norwegian Minister of Defense Ine Eriksen Soreide was quoted as saying.

The Norwegian government announced in May that a team of about 60 soldiers would contribute with training, advising and operational support to local Syrian groups in their fight against the IS. If Norway's support needed to go beyond this mandate, the government has to consult parliament.

"The government therefore consulted parliament and informed them about the development. Depending on the situation, Norwegian forces will also provide support on Syrian territory," Soreide said.

The Norwegian troops will have their headquarters in Jordan. According to the plan, they will travel to Jordan during the summer and there will be a continuous risk assessment made for the mission. Endit