Danish special forces assigned with new tasks to combat IS

A majority of the Danish political parties have supported the government's proposal to expand the mandate for the country's special forces to fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

Consequently, the Danish special forces as part of the global coalition against IS will contribute in a more direct role to support Iraqi partner units, the ministry said in a statement.

In the meantime, the special forces, currently stationed in Iraq, will be able to undertake missions in parts of Syria.

Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen said the fight against the IS is an important foreign and security priority for the Danish government.

He said the decision to expand the scope of operations for the Danish special forces in Iraq and Syria was made on the basis of a specific request from the coalition.

"The Danish contribution to the coalition against the IS will continue to be significant in the coming year -- both militarily and civilian," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Danish Minister of Defense Claus Hjort Frederiksen said the special forces will continue to complete the tasks requested by the Iraqi government and the coalition.

"It is crucial that the IS is not allowed safe havens but is consistently under pressure from all sides. This is why the Danish government is continuously monitoring the situation and adapts our military contribution as per the needs of the coalition," Frederiksen said.

In April last year, a broad majority in the Danish parliament approved a proposal to increase the country's military contribution to the fight against the IS in Iraq and Syria.

Currently, the Danish contribution in Syria and Iraq primarily consists of training and analysis teams, which mainly work with Iraqi military units. Endit