Barksdale B-52s Land In Qatar To FIght IS

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AP) - B-52 bombers and hundreds U.S. Air Force personnel from northwest Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force have arrived at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to fight the Islamic State group.

The Air Force reported their arrival Saturday.

The B-52s of the 2nd Bomb Wing replace B-1B Lancers stationed in Qatar as part of the 19-nation air coalition operating in what's called Operation Inherent Resolve. The Air Force says the B-52s will strike at targets in Syria and Iraq. Since June 2014, various countries have flown more than 33,000 missions against the Islamic State group.

The Air Force says B-52s were last in combat in May 2006 as part of U.S. operations in Afghanistan.

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