Canada Plans to Join US Airstrikes Against Islamic State

Canada plans to join the U.S. led airstrikes against the Islamic State militants in Iraq, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, Friday.

The motion is expected to be approved by the parliament Monday, as the ruling conservative party has a majority in the house.

Harper said that the motion authorizes air strikes in Iraq for six months and clearly states that ground troops would not be deployed in combat operations.

"We will strike ISIL where, and only where, Canada has the clear support of the government of that country. At present, that is only true in Iraq," Harper said, referring to the Islamic State by one of its acronyms. "If it were to become the case in Syria, then we would participate in airstrikes in that country also," he said, reports the Associated Press.

The new mission will comprise of six CF-18 fighter jets, a refueling tanker aircraft, two surveillance aircrafts and one airlift aircraft.

Meanwhile, Canada's opposition parties have asked Harper to be more transparent regarding the plans. Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau said on Friday that his party would vote against the motion.

Thomas Mulcair, leader of the official opposition New Democrats, questioned the wisdom of Canada getting involved in Iraq.

"The prime minister insists this mission in Iraq will not be allowed to become a quagmire," Mulcair said, reports BBC citing CBC.

"But isn't that precisely what our American allies have been facing in Iraq for the last 10 years?" he said.

Canada's former Liberal government had rejected a request to send troops when U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.