Iraq denies reports of troop reinforcements to US-led coalition

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iraq denied Monday reports about new troop reinforcements to the US-led coalition against the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group.

“Iraq does not need any foreign troops,” Tahseen al-Khafaji, a spokesman for the Iraqi Operations Command, said in a statement cited by the state news agency INA.

“The role of the international coalition is limited to providing advice, training, and security information,” he added.

US media earlier reported that some 1,500 US soldiers will be deployed to Iraq and Syria as part of the anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition.

There was no official confirmation yet of the reports.

There are around 3,000 troops, including 2,500 US forces, fighting in the anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition in Iraq.

Calls have grown for the withdrawal of the US-led coalition forces from Iraq after a senior leader in the pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi military group was killed in a coalition airstrike in Baghdad on Jan. 4.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar