Almost 7,000 Iraqi troops trained by New Zealand, Australian forces

New Zealand and Australian forces will soon have trained 7,000 Iraqi troops in the fight against Islamic State (Daesh) insurgents, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said Thursday.

The joint Building Partner Capacity Mission, based at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, helped the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) build the combat power necessary to sustain operations against Daesh, Major General Tim Gall, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said in a statement.

"It has been encouraging to see that our training efforts are paying off. Early this year, some of the Iraqi soldiers we trained were involved in the successful counter-offensive operation in Ramadi," said Gall.

Around 300 non-commissioned officers who had just graduated comprised the fourth group of ISF who had completed the junior leaders course.

Captain Mahmood Mohammed, of the Iraqi Army Junior Leaders School, said the soldiers were keen to apply what they learned.

"The soldiers will pass on their skills when they return to their units and lead their men in the battle against Daesh," Mohammed said in the statement.

The trainees had practiced fighting in squads and trained in urban warfare, as well as learning fire control to maintain a disciplined approach as they fought.

Around 100 NZDF personnel and 300 Australian Defence Force troops are involved in the mission at Camp Taji. Endit