Norway might send troops into Syria, including special forces, the government said on Wednesday, after parliament authorised it to do so.

Oslo plans to send some 60 troops to Jordan this summer to train and support Syrian fighters battling Islamic State (IS).

It said in May it would consult with parliament if there was a change in circumstances that meant the Norwegian troops could be needed inside Syria itself. On Wednesday parliament gave the go-ahead.

‘Local forces (opposed to IS) are making more progress than we could have expected. It is therefore more on the agenda that coalition forces should be able to train, advise and give operational support on Syrian territory in their battle against IS,’ defence minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement.

Norway has also sent 120 soldiers to Iraq to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in northern Iraq.  

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