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BAGHDAD, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Iraq received on Thursday the first batch of South Korea's T-50 light fighter jets, said the Iraqi Defense Ministry in a statement.
The jets received aim to support Iraqi forces in dislodging Islamic State (IS) militants from the city of Mosul.
"The first batch of South Korean-manufactured T-50 fighter jets arrived with their gear, weapons, pilots and technicians," the statement quoted Lt. Gen. Pilot Anwar Hama Amin, commander of the Iraqi airforce, as saying.
The T-50 fighter jets will soon participate in the military operations against IS terrorists, the statement said.
In 2013, South Korean defense contractor Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd signed a deal with Iraq to export 24 light combat aircrafts.
The deal to supply T-50 aircrafts also included training for Iraqi pilots and other support for the country's airforce for the coming two decades.
The arrival of the new fighter jets comes as Iraqi security force backed by the anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out IS militants from its last major stronghold in and around Mosul.
