|
answer text |
<p>The UK is operating as part of a global coalition of over 60 countries - including
Iraq, Arab nations, European partners and the US, to defeat ISIL. The UK is playing
a leading role in the coalition, with around 800 personnel in the region helping to
counter ISIL.</p><p>The UK have conducted the second highest number of strikes in
Iraq, behind the US and is providing significant critical enablers in the form of
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and air to air refuelling capabilities
that few other nations possess. We are also providing eight Tornado GR4 Aircraft and
a number of Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles contributing to precision strike and ISR.</p><p>Within
the coalition's training programme to build the capacity of Iraqi security forces,
the UK is co-ordinating Coalition counter-IED (C-IED) training with a small planning
team in Baghdad and some 30 military trainers based in Erbil. The UK has trained over
1,100 Iraqi forces in infantry skills and in the use of the UK-gifted heavy machine
guns. As well as providing niche C-IED and Infantry Skills trainers, we have also
trained 108 Peshmerga in our Protection of Civilians training course.</p>
|
|