Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has persuaded Morocco to join the coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.

Officials said the North African kingdom has agreed to join the U.S.-led coalition air strikes against ISIL positions in Iraq and Syria. They said Morocco already contributed several F-16 Block 52+ multi-role fighters for the daily operations.

“This was a good decision both for the coalition and Morocco as it has not yet tested these aircraft in combat,” an official said.

At this point, the Royal Moroccan Air Force has been operating three F-16s in the campaign against ISIL. Officials said the Moroccan missions were coordinated with the U.S. Air Force through its air operations command in Qatar.

This marked the first use of Morocco’s F-16 fleet in air strikes. The kingdom procured 24 such aircraft from Lockheed Martin in a $2.4 billion purchase.

So far, Morocco has been the first and only North African ally to join the coalition. Egypt, which long was a partner of Washington, has refrained from any commitment amid the U.S. suspension of F-16s to the regime of President Abdul Fatah Sisi.

“This effort needs an Arab face,” Rep. Rob Wittman, a chairman of a House Armed Services subcommittee, said.

  Morocco and its F-16s join U.S. anti-ISIL coalition, WorldTribune.com