Army

'Hundreds' More Troops Set For Iraq

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has spoken in the House of Commons about an additional deployment of British troops numbering "in the low hundreds", that will be sent to Iraq next month to train local forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants.

Mr Fallon said details of the contribution to an international mission were still being finalised but would probably include a small protection contingent of combat-ready British soldiers at four US-led "safe" centres.

The move represents a significant swelling of the 50-strong British force presently engaged in preparing Iraqi and Kurdish fighters for a new phase of the fight to retake swathes of territory seized by the jihadis.