WASHINGTON, January 7 (Sputnik) — The United States has donated 250 mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles to the Iraqi Government for the country’s security forces to fight against the Islamic State (IS), the US Department of State said.
“These MRAP vehicles [will] provide increased ballistic and counter mine protection for Iraqi security forces,” US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones was cited as saying in a State Department statement Tuesday. “These vehicles will save Iraqi lives and enable Iraqi security forces to win the fight against ISIL.”
In 2014 the United States allocated some $300 million to Iraq for additional military equipment for Iraqi soldiers, including 12,000 sets of body armour, Kevlar helmets, medical kits and counter-IED equipment, and 10,000 rifles.
“These deliveries were in response to Iraqi government requests, and were the latest in a series of deliveries bringing critical supplies to Iraq,” according to the State Department.
The United States is currently carrying out a multi-pronged strategy to “degrade and ultimately destroy” IS, which includes a coalition air campaign and diplomatic efforts to politically and economically cut off the group.
The US-led coalition started launching air-strikes against IS targets in Iraq in August and expanded the air campaign to Syria in September.