Pentagon Provides Iraq $17.9Mln in Equipment, Supplies to Fight ISIL

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States is assisting Iraq with the necessary equipment and supplies to help that country fight more effectively the Islamic State (ISIL), according to a US Department of Defense statement.

“The Defense Department has expedited $17.9 million in equipment and supplies — some of which have already been delivered — to the Iraqi government,” the statement said.

The supplied equipment includes 232 Hellfire missiles; 250 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles; thousands of Kevlar helmets and body armour; 10,000 M-16 rifles; 10,000 M-68 close-combat optical red-dot sights; 200 Harris vehicle-mounted radios, and 23,000 light weapons magazines, according to the statement.

The Pentagon explained that deliveries of the equipment began in early January and are set to continue this week.

The Iraqi forces have retaken at least 700 kilometers of territory previously occupied by the ISIL, but the fight against the terrorist group is far from over, US Army Colonel Steve Warren said in the statement.

The ISIL is a Sunni militant group that has taken over large portions of Syria and Iraq, and declared a caliphate. The United States and the anti-ISIL coalition began carrying out airstrikes against ISIL targets in Iraq in August 2014, and expanded the air campaign to Syria in September, though without Syrian government approval.