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UK to send scores of new military trainers to Iraq

File photo of Iraqi army training

British Prime Minister David Cameron says his country will dispatch 125 more military trainers to Iraq to help in the fight against ISIL.

Cameron made the announcement at a G7 summit in Germany on Monday.

He also described ISIL terror activity as "the biggest threat" G7 leaders had to address.

The latest pledge will take the number of UK personnel training Iraqi security forces to more than 275, the state-run BBC reported.

The report said the additional help was being given at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

It added that most of the extra personnel will be involved in training Iraqi soldiers to deal with explosive devices. The bulk of the extra personnel - around 100 of those deployed - will train local forces in detecting and dealing with the roadside bombs and booby-trap explosives used by ISIL. Another 25 will focus on logistical challenges, such as bridge-building.

More than 1,000 Kurdish troops have already been trained by UK personnel, the report noted.

Last December, the British defense secretary said hundreds of UK troops will be sent to Iraq in the New Year.

The deployment to help train local forces will be in the "very low hundreds," but could also include a small protection force of combat-ready soldiers, Michael Fallon had said.

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