Australia 'to send more troops to train Iraqi forces'

2 March 2015 BBC

Australia is poised to significantly increase its contingent of troops training local forces in Iraq, Australian media say.

They say 300 troops will join the 200 special forces soldiers already in the country training the Iraqi army. The new deployment will form part of a joint mission with New Zealand. Fighter jets from the Royal Australian Air Force joined the US-led coalition bombing Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq in October. The cabinet approved the plan on Monday, Australia's ABC News reported. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to make a formal announcement later on Tuesday. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key pre-empted the announcement last week when he revealed that New Zealand was sending 143 troops to Iraq in a joint operation with Australia.

Read more