Canada to withdraw from Islamic State airstrikes

Newly elected Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed that he will withdraw Canadian fighter jets from the air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.

Trudeau informed US President Barack Obama of his decision hours after leading his Liberal Party to victory in the polls, the BBC reports. The pledge to bring home the CF-18 fighter jets deployed to the region by March 2016 was part of his election campaign, but Trudeau has not yet given a timescale when the actual withdrawal will begin.

"I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way that understands how important Canada has a role to play in the fight against ISIL (Islamic State), but he (Barack Obama) understands the commitments I've made around ending the combat mission," the BBC reports him telling reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.

The AFP news agency added that Trudeau would however keep Canadian military trainers in northern Iraq.

According to reports, Trudeau also vowed to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year - a move previously rejected by his predecessor Stephen Harper, who took a much harder line on the issue.

Justin Trudeau's Liberals won Monday’s election, ending nearly a decade of Conservative rule under Stephen Harper.

There is no fixed transition period under Canada's constitution and Trudeau is expected to be sworn in in a few weeks' time