The UAE Embassy in the United States confirmed that Major Mariam was involved in the recent action against the ISIS.

Dubai: The UAE’s first female F-16 fighter pilot, Major Mariam Al Mansouri, says she has broken the glass ceiling by setting stereotypes to rest.

Major Mariam, 35, not only participated in the recent air strikes against the ISIS but is said to have ‘led’ the squad.

In a statement sent to Khaleej Times, the UAE Embassy in the United States confirmed that Major Mariam was involved in the recent action against the ISIS.

“The ambassador (Yousef Al Otaiba) discussed that on American television show Morning Joe, a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC,” read the statement, referring to the show aired on Thursday morning.

AFP, quoting an Emirati source familiar with the matter, said Major Mariam “led the squadron” of UAE fighter jets that participated in raids against the extremists on Tuesday.

In an interview to CNN in July, Major Mariam said she thought that she had broken barriers. “It was a dream…it was something impossible that came true.

“As in every culture, whenever a woman enters a male-dominated field, they find the same hesitation, same prejudice and same stereotype thinking.”

Mariam graduated from Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa bin Zayed Air College in 2006 and is a veteran pilot of F-16 warplanes.

“I had to prove myself to my male colleagues by just being determined, and showing that I can perform as skillfully as the males in this field,” said Major Mariam. She said she had to wait 10 long years before she was allowed to join the airforce.

“Most of the time, I had to prove that I was better than them (male colleagues) since the spotlight was on me,” she added.

She also said Emirati women were going places. “I can see women working in different fields including which they did not use to…and they are very successful.”

Washington has said the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan took part in the strikes on ISIS militants who have seized swathes of land in Iraq and northern Syria.

Major Mariam’s participation in the raid stirred a debate on social media networks, with supporters posting her picture on Twitter and commending her service.

Mariam Al Mansouri was trending online on Twitter by Thursday evening as the news spread.

“This news has given us more hope that we have equal braveness! Thanks to UAE for such confident surprise,” wrote a Twitter user.

“Major Marium Mansouri, one of UAE’s fighter pilots targeting ISIS, is my new heroine,” wrote another.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com