The army said on Sunday that five Russian jet fighters had arrived in Iraq under a military deal with Moscow as the country is roiled by an Islamist-led insurgency.
“The first batch of Sukhai Su-25 jets have arrived in Iraqi territory, which will enhance the combat capability of the Iraqi Air Force in eliminating terrorism,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The jets would enter service soon, ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said.
“The Sukhai deliveries will change the battle situation,” he told the independent
The jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has seized large swathes of northern and western Iraq this month after a collapse in Government security forces.
The Shi'ite-led Government said its troops have since wrested back areas from ISIL, a radical Sunni group.
State media, citing military sources, reported that the army launched an onslaught on Saturday against ISIL, which is believed to be backed by disgruntled Sunni militias. The offensive is aimed at retaking the northern cities of Tikrit and Mosul, the reports said.
The insurgents’ swift advances have raised international fears that Iraq is falling apart and the fighting makes room for the emergence of a regional militant enclave.
Iraq has seen increasing violence over the past year, much of it blamed on ISIL and aimed at security forces and Shi'ite civilians.
The Government’s response with security sweeps and mass arrests has further alienated Iraq’s Sunni minority, from which ISIL and other rebel groups draw their support.