Denmark to deploy military personnel in Iraq

The Folketinget, which was attended by 104 deputies in its session, decided unanimously to send a Hercules C-130J transport aircraft and 55 military personnel to Iraqi Kurdish regional capital of Erbil on Thursday, according to a foreign ministry statement issued on Wednesday. "The Danish military contribution is being made available based on request from the Iraqi and American governments," the statement said. Danish Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard said in the statement that the Islamic State, formerly known as the ISIL, was one of the biggest threats the international community was facing. "Denmark's contribution to the ongoing military operation in Iraq will of course not eliminate ISIL completely, but aims at helping the Iraqis in engaging and countering ISIL's current offensive," Lidegaard was quoted as saying in the statement. The self-proclaimed Islamic State has driven an estimated 1.2 million Iraqis from their homes in a humanitarian crisis that is engulfing the area since the uprising began at the beginning of June.