US forces have finished training 4,800 Iraqi soldiers in fighting and modern warfare, including urban battles, to enhance their ability to face Daesh, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence announced yesterday.
A statement issued by the Iraqi ministry said: “The American forces monitored the training of 4,800 fighters who belong to brigade No.73 of command No.15 in the Iraqi army.”
The ministry added that the soldiers, who have received training in four camps in El-Taji district, north of Baghdad, will be engaged in the battles against Daesh.
Iskandar Watout, member of the Security and Defence Committee in the Iraqi Parliament told the Anadolu Agency: “The American side extended support to the Iraqi side in the war on Daesh, but the Iraqi ground sectors in the Anbar province are still in need of more air support by the international coalition.”
Watout added: “Fighters who have completed their training under the supervision of the US side might be used in fighting in Anbar province as well as in subsequent battles in Nineveh province, north of the country.”
“The current phase requires pushing more numbers of fighters for training to be kept as a reserve force for any emergency.”
Some 3,000 US troops are present across Iraq’s provinces in charge of training Iraqi forces on the war against Daesh, as well as providing military advice to Iraqi forces.