Prague, Jan 25 (CTK) – The Czech government decided to provide military aid to Iraq and Jordan at its meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka writes on Twitter, adding that this is part of the country’s contribution to the fight against Islamic State.
“I promised help in the fight against Islamic State to Jordan last year. We are meeting our promise. The Czech Republic will send ammunition for assaults rifles and machine guns,” Sobotka wrote.
He wrote that assault rifles and ammunition would be sent to Iraq as well.
The Defence Ministry said last week that the government would deal with the military’s proposal to give more than 6500 assault rifles and several millions of pieces of ammunition to Iraqi, Kurdish and Jordan armed forces yesterday.
With the ammunition for 14 million crowns, the Czech Republic wants to support Jordan’s armed and security forces. The transport will be secured by Jordan or with the help of the United States or Britain.
“Jordan is a stable alliance partner. It is a small island of relative peace in the Middle East,” Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky told CTK previously.
Jordan is a member of the coalition fighting Islamic State and it takes care of some two million refugees on its territory, he said.
Stropnicky confirmed previously the supply of arms and ammunition to Iraq. At least a part of the military aid would go to the Kurds who bear the biggest brunt of the ground operations against Islamic State.
According to CTK’s information, the Czech army wants to send 3000 new and 3600 old machine guns and ammunition worth 21 million crowns to Iraq.
In the past, the Czech Republic gave Iraq and Kurdistan millions of rounds for machine guns, assault rifles, 5000 hand grenades and 5000 RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades.
($1=25.002 crowns)
