Britain boosts Iraq military trainers to combat Islamic State

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — The United Kingdom will send an additional 125 military trainers to Iraq to counter the rising threat from the Islamic State, Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday at the G-7 summit.

The prime minister's office said the military personnel were being provided at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

The extra soldiers to train Iraq's security forces bring the total number of British troops operating there to around 200.

In March, several dozen British troops were sent to the region to train Kurdish fighters who are battling the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS.

On Sunday, Cameron described ISIL as the "biggest threat" being discussed at the two-day summit of the Group of Seven major industrial powers meeting in Germany.

The development comes ahead of separate meetings here Monday with Al-Abadi, Cameron and President Obama.

Cameron and Obama spoke briefly Sunday on the sidelines of the summit, and Obama appeared to indicate that he and Cameron would later talk about what's working to help defeat the Islamic State fighters. Obama said terrorism-related issues in Libya and Nigeria would also be discussed.

Despite recent setbacks in Iraq, including the fall of the key city of Ramadi to the Islamic State, the U.S.-led coalition forces fighting the militants say they are on the right track.

"In Iraq right now, we have the right strategy: a combination of coalition airstrikes, training, equipping, assisting and effective local partners," Tony Blinken, deputy secretary of State said Tuesday in Paris.

"That is the winning strategy, but only if both sides of the equation are present," Blinken said.