Obama sending 450 more troops to Iraq in face of Isis offensive

Additional troops will train Iraqi forces as Isis has mounted a successful offensiv

(Getty Images)

The US will send as many as 450 additional troops to Iraq in the face of an aggressive Isis offensive that has seen the Islamic militants take control of large swaths of territory in that country.

The additional troops are not being sent to join ground forces in Iraq, but instead will be used to help train more Iraqi soldiers to fight Isis, the Associated Press reported. The White House said it would open another US training site in Iraq, bringing the total number of facilities to five.

President Barack Obama reportedly made the decision to bring extra troops to Iraq after speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his military advisors.

The president continues to resist calls from Iraqi leadership to send in soldiers to join the fight on the group or for more soldiers to call in air strikes.

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