Australia to widen scope of air war against Islamic State

PanARMENIAN.Net - Australia is to start targeting jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria, as it broadens the scope of its air war on the Islamic State group, officials said Thursday, September 1, according to AFP.

The staunch U.S. ally has some 780 defense personnel in the Middle East supporting its operation against IS and has been active in Iraq for months.

Many are based in Iraq with 400 attached to the Air Task Group flying six F/A-18 Hornets on bombing missions. Late last year Australia also started carrying out air strikes against IS targets in Syria as part of a 60-nation, US-led coalition.

Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin said that domestic laws needed to be updated to allow his pilots to attack support and logistics targets, as they were currently limited to "only target those Daesh (IS) forces that are taking a direct and active part in hostilities".

He said the amendments were also necessary to protect defense force personnel at risk of being prosecuted domestically for their actions against IS if courts "take a narrower interpretation of Australia's obligations under international law."

The legal changes would allow the defense force "to target Daesh at its core, joining with our coalition partners to target and kill a broader range of Daesh combatants, which is consistent with international law", Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told parliament in Canberra, AFP says.

He also confirmed his administration would soon put forward legislation, first announced in July, to keep high-risk jihadists in detention beyond the completion of their sentences and to tighten control orders that aim to prevent an attack by limiting a person's movements, communications and activities.