Following a request from the U.S., Canada’s Parliament has voted to authorize airstrikes against the ISIS militant group in Iraq.

Following a request from the U.S., Canada's Parliament has voted to authorize airstrikes against the ISIL militant group in Iraq.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party introduced the motion last week and it was debated this week. Harper has a majority of seats in Parliament so the vote was all but assured. The motion passed Tuesday 157-134.

The motion authorizes air strikes in Iraq for up to 6 months and explicitly states that no ground troops be used in combat operations.

The combat mission includes up to 6 CF-18 fighter jets, a refueling tanker aircraft, two surveillance planes and one airlift aircraft. About 600 airmen and airwomen will be involved.

Canada is among dozens of countries that have joined the U.S.-led coalition fighting the ISIL terrorist group.

“The threat posed by ISIL is real,” Harper said in a statement, referring to the Islamic State by one of its acronyms.

“If left unchecked this terrorist organization will grow and grow quickly. They have already voiced their local and international terrorist intentions and identified Canada as a potential target.''

The White House welcomed Canada's deployment.