400 more US soldiers headed to Iraq

WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (KUNA) -- US troop levels continue to rise in Iraq as 400 more soldiers head to the war-torn country to join the fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS), US media reports said Friday night.
Army officials at a base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky said the 400 soldiers will be deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. They are among the 530 troops President Barack Obama authorized for the mission earlier this month.
The Pentagon maintains that fewer than 4,000 military personnel are in Iraq, but a Washington Post investigation earlier this year reported the number to be upwards of 5,000. In related news, a 45-year-old US airman supporting the fight against IS in Southwest Asia died this week of "non-combat related injuries," the Pentagon announced in a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning.
He was identified as Lt. Col. Flando E. Jackson of Lansing, Michigan. No further details were provided. (end) ys.tg