Bahrain confirmed Tuesday that its warplanes joined those of other Gulf monarchies in bombing jihadist positions as part of a US-led coalition against extremists in Syria and Iraq, an official said.

"A formation of Bahrain Royal Air Force aircraft, joining brotherly air forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council and other friendly and allied forces... bombed and destroyed several positions and selected targets belonging to terrorist organisations," the defence official said.

The move comes as "part of international efforts to protect regional security and peace," said the official, quoted by the state news agency BNA.

Visiting Issa air base near Manama, King Hamad affirmed his country's readiness to "participate with friends and allies in carrying out its vital duty by participating in confronting terrorism in the region," BNA reported.

Bahrain, a tiny but strategic Gulf state, is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.