Iraqi diplomat: 200 Iranian advisers are helping Iraqi troops fight ISIS

Nearly 200 Iranian military advisers are assisting the Iraqi forces in their fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), Iraqi Ambassador to the US Lukman Faily revealed.

In an interview with the Daily Beast newspaper, Faily spoke of how effective Iranian advisers were adding that the Iraqi government would be less welcoming of US advisers being deployed on the front lines with Iraqi troops.

The Iraqi government has long denied claims by Iraqi Sunni parties that Iran was involved in the fight against ISIS.

Sunni groups claim Iranian fighters were involved in violations including killing, looting and sabotage committed by allied Shia troops against Iraq’s Sunni population.

Images of Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani walking among Iranian fighters in Iraq were also released.

The Daily Beast did not specify when Faily made the statement which was published in an article yesterday.