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Britain to arm Iraqi Kurds with heavy machine guns

An initial $2.6 mn arms shipment has been announced by UK Foreign Secretary Michael Fallon
Peshmerga fighters will begin receiving heavy machine guns from the UK (AA)
By AFP

Britain is to ship heavy machine guns to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State jihadists in Iraq, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced Tuesday.

The arms shipment, worth $2.6 mn, will arrive in Iraq on Wednesday.

"The Kurdish forces remain significantly less well equipped than ISIL (Islamic State) and we are responding to help them defend themselves, protect citizens and push back IS advances," he said in a written statement to parliament.

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