Germany to deploy 1,200 soldiers to Syria

Germany is planning to deploy 1,200 troops to help France in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, army chief General Volker Wieker said on Sunday.
Censor.NET reports citing DW.

"From a military point of view, some 1,200 soldiers will be needed to operate the planes and ships," Wieker told the "Bild am Sonntag" newspaper.

Wieker, who is the highest-ranking officer in the Bundeswehr, said the deployment would be able to begin very quickly once the German parliament had approved a mandate for the operation, adding that the government would seek such a mandate before the end of the year.

The German government announced on Thursday that it would make available Tornado reconnaissance planes and a frigate for the fight against "IS." This came after France requested aid in combating the group following deadly jihadist attacks in Paris on November 13 that claimed 130 lives.

French President Francois Hollande has called for a broad international coalition to fight the extremists.

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