India ready to fight IS under UN flag: Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said India could join the fight against IS if there is an international force under the UN flag.

“We have made it clear that if there is a UN resolution and if there is UN flag and a UN mission, then as per India’s policy to operate under UN flag, we will participate,” Parrikar said here, responding to questions on the possibility of India’s participation in operations against the IS.

The defence minister returned from a meeting from the US last week where he met his US counterpart Ashton Carter and top military officials. Prior to that, he traveled to Russia. Regional security issues were discussed both in Moscow and Washington.

Asked specifically if India will operate against the IS under the UN flag, he said it would “depend on whether UN takes a resolution”.

India had earlier this month, along with major world economies, participated in the first-ever global meeting in Paris to discuss and evolve mechanisms to combat the clandestine and largely undetected terrorist financing network of the Islamic State terror group.

Last month, Parrikar alerted the armed forces to remain cautious about the threats from the IS in the cyber world.