Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper outlines his government's plan to participate in a military campaign against Islamic State militants
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper outlines his government's plan to participate in a military campaign against Islamic State militants, in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa October 3, 2014. Canadian fighter jets will take part in U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants operating in Iraq for up to six months, Harper said on Friday. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Around 120 members from the Canadian Armed Forces are going to join the U.S.-led mission against the Islamic State in the Middle East. The Canada government announced on Saturday that the members would leave next week.

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said that the Theatre Activation Team would leave from Trenton, Ontario. He said that the team would prepare itself for the arrival of CF-18 fighter planes as well as other aircraft. Nicholson said that the deployment of the team was a major step while the CAF units arranged its initial preparations, CBC News reported. The CAF units are going to work together with Operation IMPACT. The team, on the other hand, will be responsible for "initiating the infrastructure support required in-theatre," Nicholson said. He also said that Canada would continue to work with the allies to counter the Middle Eastern militant forces which posed "terrorist threat at home and abroad."

Toronto Sun reported that the House of Commons had earlier voted in favour of joining the air combat mission in Iraq. Both the Liberals and the NDP voted with the government to go for the mission. The mission, with the help of six CF-18s, will be conducted to help and protect Iraqi civilians by fighting against the "brutality of ISIS fighters." Around 600 supporting crew members are also going to be sent with a refuelling tanker and a couple of surveillance aircraft. The last time Canada sent troops for a combat abroad was in 2011 when the Conservative government sent forces to Libya.

Canada has already sent more than a dozen Special Forces advisers deployed in Iraq. The government apparently has plans to deploy up to 69 advisers to support Kurdish forces in the Middle East against the Islamic State militants. The mission, based in Kuwait, is supposed to take place or six months. The mission is to fight against the Islamic State which is trying build up its own state in certain parts of Iraq and Syria. Australia too had joined the allies to fight against the IS forces. However, the Australian government clarified that it would not take part in Syria mission. It also said that its forces were sent to Iraq only after the Iraq government had requested for it.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au