Female pilot, Maj. Mariam al-Mansouri, led UAE strikes against Islamic State

Major Mariam al-Mansouri, 35, the first female United Arab Emirates pilot of a fighter jet, has “led the squadron” of fighter jets that participated in raids Tuesday against the extremists, an Emirati source familiar with the matter said. Al-Mansouri is a graduate of Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa bin Zayed Air College in 2007 and a veteran pilot of F-16 warplanes. Her participation in the strikes stirred a debate on social media networks, with supporters posting her picture on Twitter and commending her service.

She is taking part in crushing the dens of Daesh.

Tweet from one supporter, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State

The Emirati embassy in Washington on Thursday confirmed al-Mansouri’s role in the air strikes. The UAE is a largely conservative Gulf state, where women citizens wear the traditional Islamic head cover and black Abaya loose cloak. But authorities in the oil-rich state have made efforts to put pioneering women forward and many women have assumed top government positions.

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