Australia to join multinational weapons drop into Iraq

PERTH Australia August 31 (Reuters - Australia will drop military equipment and aid to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants in northern Iraq in response to a request from the United States, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday.

Australia will join Canada, Italy, France, Britain and the United States in providing arms and humanitarian relief as part of a multinational effort to be coordinated by Iraq and other countries in the region, Abbott said.