Norway commits military officers in fight against IS

The Norwegian government Friday committed five military officers in the US-led fight against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Iraq, a media report said.

The five officers of the Norwegian military will be made available "for relevant headquarters planning and leading the international effort against ISIS (now called IS) and in Iraq" for no more than 12 months, The Local online newspaper quoted the department of defence as saying in a statement.

"It is important to show that the global society stands together in the fight against international terrorism, and that serious violations on human rights will not be tolerated," Minister of Defence Ina Eriksen Søreide said.

The Norwegian officers will first be sent to Tampa, Florida, to begin their tasks as soon as possible.

Norway can lawfully contribute to the war with military forces in Iraq only, provided the use of power is within international law, Norway's defence department said.