US deploys B-52s to Qatar to fight IS

(Baonghean.vn) -US Air ForcebegindeploymentbomberB-52s arrive in QatarApril 9to join the fight againstgroupIslamic State(IS)self-proclaimedfor the first time since the 1991 Gulf War.

B-52s were sent by the US to Qatar to join the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria. Photo: EPA.

“The deployment of B-52s to the Middle East demonstrates America’s determination to exert continued pressure on ISIS and protect areas that will be recaptured in the future,” said Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Charles Brown.

Lieutenant Colonel Chris Karns, a spokesman for US Central Command, said he could not provide the exact number of B-52s sent to the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar for “military confidentiality reasons”.

General Brown said the bombers could deliver weapons to ground forces and conduct a range of missions, including strategic attack, interdiction of enemy air power and maritime operations.

Lieutenant Colonel Karns said the B-52s were used this time primarily to deliver weapons to the area of ​​conflict.

“Precision is extremely important in this fight,” said Karns. “Carpet bombing is not going to be effective because ISIS operates in small groups. Often, they blend in with civilians in population centers. The U.S. military always chooses to minimize civilian casualties.”

Thanh Hien

(According to Reuters)