More U.S. troops headed to Iraq to retake Mosul

Defense Secretary Ash Carter is ordering 560 more troops to Iraq in preparation for retaking Mosul from the control of the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant, according to a Pentagon statement.

The deployment of the additional troops, which comes after seizing a key airfield from ISIL, will bring the total number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq to 4,647, though that number does not include troops on temporary assignment. Some media reports indicate the true number is closer to 6,000.

Carter was in Baghdad on Monday meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi. President Obama approved the additional forces on Carter's recommendation after consulting with key U.S. military leaders.

“In light of Iraqi Security Forces recent advances, Carter announced that the United States, in close coordination with the Iraqi government, will deploy an additional 560 troops to Iraq to build on that momentum,” according to the Pentagon statement. “The additional troops will provide a range of support for Iraqi Security Forces, including infrastructure and logistical capabilities at the airfield near Qayyarah. As the campaign shifts toward Mosul, more than 250 miles from the Iraqi capital, the airfield will become a vital springboard for the ISF offensive into Mosul. Coalition forces will also continue to provide enabler support to Kurdish Peshmerga as they converge on Mosul from Iraq's north.”