WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Three African nations have joined the US-led coalition to defeat Daesh (outlawed in Russia), US special presidential envoy Brett McGurk announced during a coalition meeting on Thursday.
"We are pleased to welcome today three new members of coalition: Chad, Niger and Djibouti," McGurk said. "We are now at 72 nations. It is now one of the largest coalitions of its kind in history."
The US-led coalition of 69 members is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire against Daesh terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. The strikes in Iraq are conducted in support of the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of President Bashar Assad.
