NATO to deploy surveillance aircraft against Daesh

By Ayhan Simsek

WARSAW (AA) – NATO countries have decided to deploy AWACS surveillance aircraft to support the U.S.-led coalition’s fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

In remarks made at a press conference on the second day of the NATO summit in Warsaw Saturday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “We are now agreed in principle that NATO’s AWACS surveillance aircraft will provide direct support to the coalition forces.

“This is a clear signal of our resolve to help tackle terrorism.”

Stoltenberg also said the surveillance aircraft would operate in Turkish and international airspace.

“The plan is to have the planes flying over international airspace and over Turkey. And that will enable them to look into the airspace over both Iraq and Syria,” he said.

The NATO summit brought together heads of states and governments of 28 member states in Warsaw.