IRBIL, Iraq — The Pentagon will send more weapons, armored Humvees and other military equipment to Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq in coming weeks to help them battle Islamic State, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said here Thursday.
Backed by U.S. airstrikes, the Kurdish guerrillas have dislodged the Sunni militants from key towns and road junctions in recent months, and Carter praised their combat skills.
“The Kurdish peshmerga have been exactly what we’ve been looking for in this whole fight in Iraq and Syria, namely a capable and motivated force that we can enable,” Carter said after meeting with Kurdish President Masoud Barzani.
Two Kurdish brigades will play a role when the Iraqi army tries to recapture Mosul, the militants’ self-declared capital in Iraq. The long-delayed offensive also will involve Sunni tribesmen and local militias.
The U.S. will deliver body armor, helmets, machine guns, armored Humvees, sniper rifles and equipment to locate or disable homemade bombs, U.S. officials said. The gear will be enough for about 2,200 fighters, they said.
