Australia says air raids in Middle East may last up to 3 years

Australia’s defense minister says his country’s airstrikes in the Middle East could last up to three years a day after Canberra said it would also join the so-called anti-Daesh coalition led by the US in its aerial campaign in Syria.

Kevin Andrews said on Thursday that Canberra can expect to remain in the region for some time to come, saying, “Two, three years. I can't say for exact, exact terms.”

“The reality is that this is going to go on for a number of years,” Andrews said, noting that bombing raids could start within days.

The Australian defense chief, meanwhile, highlighted that the expansion of his country’s military role in Syria aims to defend Iraq against Daesh militants who operate over the border, while dismissing the possibility of Australia sending ground troops to Syria.

The comments came a day after Aussie Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that Australia would launch aerial raids in Syria after an official request by the United States to join the air offensive last month.

Canberra had already been carrying out airstrikes as part of the US-led alliance against what is said to be Daesh positions inside Iraq.

However, the premier rejected the defense minister’s assessment on Thursday and said the Australian government does not want to “put a particular timeline” on military engagement in the Middle East.

“They’ll be there as long as needed but no longer than necessary,” Abbott said.

‘Airstrikes to kill more civilians’

The plan for conducting airstrikes in Syria has faced opposition from Australia’s President of the Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, who has warned that bombing Syria will “almost certainly” lead to more civilian deaths, in addition to a rise in the number of asylum seekers.

“It is a matter of concern, certainly rather contradictory that on the one hand we’re opening our hearts to Syrian refugees and giving them permanent status, while at the same time we’re embarking on an increased bombing campaign,” she told ABC Radio on Thursday.

Triggs also called on Canberra to resettle asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia by boat, noting that several Syrians and Iraqis are in offshore detention centers.

Since September 2014, the US along with some of its regional allies has purportedly been conducting airstrikes against Daesh Takfiri terrorists inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.

The airstrikes in Syria are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against purported ISIL positions in Iraq, which started in August 2014.

This is while many of the countries joining the so-called anti-terror coalition, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been staunch supporters of the extremist elements fighting against the Syrian government.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk