International Coalition Forces In Iraq: Fully Complied with Abdul Mahdi’s Orders Concerning Iraqi Air Space.

INA, Baghdad-

The International coalition Command in Iraq declared on Saturday that it will remain in full compliance with the orders issued by PM Adil Abdul Mahdi concerning the use of the Iraqi air space.

An announcement by the coalition command, a copy of which received by the INA, stated that ‘a meeting has taken place lately between the joint command team work of the coalition forces in Iraq, and the joint operations command and air defense in the Iraqi ministry of defense, in order to put the latest instructions issued by PM Adil Abdul Mahdi, concerning the use of the Iraqi Air Space, into action.’

The announcement added that ‘the coalition forces declare its full compliance with all the laws and instructions put by the Iraqi side, recognizing its status as a guest within the Iraqi sovereign borders, and that US- led coalition forces have obeyed immediately all the directions given by its Iraqi partners while executing the PM’s orders, stressing that they only work inside Iraq by request of its government and under the protective cover of its partnership with the Iraqi security forces.’

The announcement went on to say that ‘since the campaign to defeat Daesh started on 17 October 2014, the coalition forces had extended support to the Iraqi government’s effort to liberate Iraqi territories,’ also pointing out that ‘support for the Iraqi people included, just for example, training more than 220,000 men in the Iraqi security forces, providing billions of dollars worth of equipment, in addition to performing about 15,000 air strikes in support in coordination with the Iraqi government.’

The International Coalition command’s statement concluded that ‘the coalition remains committed to giving its partners in the Iraqi security forces the support they need in order to fulfill their mission of defeating Daesh permanently.’