British Prime Minister Theresa May praised military personnel at a U.K. air base on Cyprus for helping to beat back the Islamic State group with more than 1,600 air strikes in Iraq and Syria. May said Friday that RAF Akrotiri is at the epicenter of Britain's contribution to the fight against IS and that the work of military personnel there to train the forces of neighboring countries is vital to maintaining stability in the volatile region. May said RAF Akrotiri also supports more than 1,450 personnel working with allies and partners in Iraq and Jordan to fight IS and prevent it's re-emergence. "So it is vital that we support the stability of our partners across the Middle East," said May. That support extends to the training of 60,000 Iraqi security forces and in the expansion of a quick-reaction force in Jordan.

Source: ABC News December 22, 2017 07:54 UTC