British troops to return to Iraq to help train country’s soldiers

Britain is getting ready to send troops back to Baghdad to support an American-led mission to help Iraqi security forces tackle IS

UK forces will offer further training to Iraqi soldiers and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Michael Fallon said.

It marks an expansion of UK involvement in the campaign, after a “small specialist” team was sent to instruct Peshmerga in the northern city of Erbil last month.

During his first visit to Iraq, Mr Fallon said: “We are going to be stepping up our training effort. I can’t give you precise numbers. I’m here to evaluate training needs and there are areas of expertise, particularly in counter-IED, roadside car bombs, where we can help from our experience in Afghanistan.

“So we will be putting in more training people to help at the training centres across the country, not just in the Kurdish areas.”

Mr Fallon, who visited British army trainers teaching Peshmerga fighters how to use heavy machine guns given by the UK, insisted the Government remains clear that no combat troops will be deployed to Iraq.

Under the expansion of the training mission, UK troops will teach Kurds infantry skills such as sharp-shooting and first aid, and more equipment will be provided. The UK will also send advisory personnel to Iraqi headquarters.

British troops were part of the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 that overthrew Saddam Hussein, and later took responsibility for Basra and the south of the country.

The last combat troops with Operation Telic, as it was called, left in April 2009, with a small number staying on to train Iraqi forces until 2011.