DHAKA: Britain will boost the number of its army trainers in Iraq in the coming weeks to support the Iraqi armed forces’ battle against Islamic State (IS) militants.

The British defence secretary said on a visit to Baghdad on Wednesday, reports The Straits Times.

Britain said last month it had deployed a team of trainers to Iraq to help Kurdish peshmerga fighters maintain and use heavy machineguns against the ultra radical militants which have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Britain also participated in US-led air strikes against IS, which beheaded 47-year-old British aid worker Alan Henning in October.

UK defence secretary Michael Fallon, who met top Iraqi government officials during his visit to Baghdad, said the details of the mission would be ironed out soon.

BDST: 2150 HRS, NOV 05, 2014