UK troops training Kurdish fighters: MoD
Iran Press TV
Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:24PM GMT
A number of British troops in Iraq are providing training to Kurdish fighters who are battling the ISIL Takfiri militants in the Arab country, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.
An MoD spokeswoman said on Sunday that a "small specialist team of non-combat Army trainers" had been deployed to Iraq following an earlier approval by British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.
The soldiers, who are currently based near the Kurdish city of Erbil in northern Iraq, are instructing the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to operate and maintain arms provided by Britain last month, she added.
"The [UK] government has previously made clear its intention to provide training to the Peshmerga as part of the continued effort to assist in the fight against ISIL," the spokeswoman said.
Some media reports suggest that the team consists of 12 British soldiers.
Meanwhile, there are other reports, saying that the soldiers are from the Cyprus-based 2nd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment.
Last month, British MPs voted to back the UK joining US-led airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq.
Iraq has faced brutal violence by ISIL across the country's north and west since early June. ISIL terrorists have threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and Izadi Kurds, during their advances in Iraq.
They have been committing heinous crimes in the areas they have taken, including the mass execution of civilians as well as Iraqi army troops and officers.
Soldiers of the Iraqi army along with Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been engaged in heavy fighting with the Takfiri militants in different fronts and have so far been able to push them back in several areas.
SSM/HMV/SS
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