Dutch F-16 fighter jets have been involved in seven missions above Syria and four actual bombing raids on IS targets in the east of the country, defence minister Jeanine Hennis has told MPs in a briefing.

Earlier this month it was claimed that Dutch planes are rarely in action over Syria because they don’t have the proper communications equipment.

Hennis said the claims about the communications equipment are ‘nonsense’. The Netherlands is not the only country without satellite equipment on its F-16s and that poses no obstacle to their deployment, she said.

Most Dutch bombing raids are carried out in Iraq, she said.

The cabinet decided in January to extend the Dutch mission in the region to cover Syria until July 1 at least, partly at the behest of the US.