US approves $295mn arms sale to Iraq

Washington April 20 (IANS) The US State Department has approved arms sales worth $295 million to Iraq the Pentagon confirmed.

According to a statement on Wednesday the military equipment would include two Peshmerga -- military forces of Iraq s Kurdistan region -- infantry brigades and two support artillery battalions Xinhua news agency reported.

These artillery battalions and infantry brigades will operate under the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Peshmerga (KRG MOP) with the concurrence of the central government said the statement.

To implement the proposed arms sale would also not require the deployment of additional .S troops or American contractor personnel to Iraq it added.

Awaiting the approval of the US Congress the arms sale was not concluded at the moment.

--IANS
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