US president Barack Obama has authorised the deployment of up to 1,500 additional US military personnel to train, advise and assist Iraqi security forces.
The new non-combat roles, intended to bolster Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the fight against Islamic State, will as good as double the number of American personnel in Iraq, which currently stands at some 1,400, US officials said.
The officials, declined to offer details about the plans, including the timing of any future deployments, should they be approved.
The disclosure came the same day that the US president met members of Congress at the White House, where he aimed to update them on the fight against Islamic State in Iraq and in Syria, among other issues.
Mr Obama has launched air strikes against Islamic State targets and sent military advisers back into the country after the US withdrawal in 2011 but he has ruled out sending American ground troops into combat.
Reuters
