Australian jets fly first mission against IS in Iraq

This handout photo taken by the Australian Defense Force on September 24, 2014 shows a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet (R) taxi-ing down the runway after its arrival at Australia’s main support base in the Middle East. Australia’s cabinet on October 3 authorized the deployment of special forces and military air strikes to tackle the Islamic State organization in Iraq, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said. AFP PHOTO / AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE / SERGEANT HAMISH PATERSON

SYDNEY – Australian fighter jets have flown their first armed combat mission in Iraq against the Islamic State group but did not launch air strikes, the military said Monday.

“The Super Hornet aircraft conducted an air interdiction and close air support mission over northern Iraq overnight,” the Australian Defense Force said in a statement.

“The Super Hornets were on-call to attack targets as identified.

“On this occasion the aircraft did not use their munitions and have returned to base to disarm and prepare for future sorties.”

The flights are the first since the Australian government on Friday authorized strikes on Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq.

Canberra is also deploying 200 soldiers to Iraq, including special forces, to advise Iraqi and Kurdish troops but has yet to receive the final approval from the Iraqi government.

Australia is part of the international coalition conducting an air campaign against IS that the United States has been building since first launching air strikes in August.

Britain and France have joined the strikes in Iraq and five Arab nations – Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – have taken part in Syrian raids.

Extremist Sunni Muslim militants IS have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, declaring a “caliphate” and imposing a harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has spoken strongly against IS, saying the decision to support international operations is in Australia’s national interest.

“The beheadings, the crucifixions, mass executions, ethnic cleansing and sexual slavery that are occurring in northern Iraq and Syria, are only the beginning if ISIL has its way,” he said on Saturday.