British troops in Iraq in the previous occupation. PHOTO: REUTERS
Britain will double its deployment of troops to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State group, defense minister Michael Fallon told reporters Wednesday.
The additional 250 troops will bring Britain's contingent of advisers to more than 500, he said, as allied ministers met in Washington to plan moves to defeat the militants.
Blair in spotlight as UK Iraq inquiry gives verdict
"We will be sending an additional 250 troops into the theater over the next few weeks," Fallon said.
"Other countries are being asked to look for their contribution to see what more they can do."
Earlier, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter had said the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group was drawing up a plan to liberate its remaining bastions.
Seven years on, UK’s Iraq inquiry gives its verdict
Allied air power and military trainers are helping Iraqi government, Kurdish militia and Syrian anti-IS fighters push the militants back to Raqa, Syria and Mosul, Iraq.
There, in the coming months, commanders hope to defeat the IS "caliphate" -- its heartland territory -- but they admit its broader network will be harder to crack.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ