First delivery of Czech combat planes arrives in Iraq

The first delivery of Czech L-159 combat planes have arrived in Iraq, Defence Minister Martin Stropnický wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday, adding that the country "succeeded in realising this deal after years of failures." Under the deal approved by the Czech government earlier this year, twelve of the Czech army’s surplus combat planes, made by the company Aero Vodochody, are to be sold to the Iraq military. The company, which conducted the deal, confirmed that the first planes had been handed over but refused to elaborate further.