Iraq’s Ministry of Interior has taken delivery of counter-improvised explosive device (IED) equipment from Nato.
The delivery included 160 sets of counter-IED equipment, which will support Iraq’s efforts to fight terrorism and safeguard civilians.
The equipment was financed by Nato's Defence Capacity Building Trust Fund.
Commenting on the counter-IED equipment delivery, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “One of our best tools in the fight against terrorism is training local forces… this equipment will help save lives.”
In July 2015, Nato agreed on a defence capacity building package for Iraq to help strengthen the country’s security and defence sector.
The package includes measures of support in areas such as countering IEDs, explosive ordnance disposal and de-mining, security sector reform, military medicine, cyber defence and civil military and emergency planning.
In 2016, Nato trained more than 350 Iraqi officers in Jordan, and at the request of the Iraqi Government, the allies agreed at Warsaw Summit in July the same year to expand this training inside Iraq.
Since January 2017, Nato advisers have been overseeing training activities and working with the Iraqi authorities to reform their security institutions.
Nato has also deployed a core team and mobile training teams in Iraq.
In February, Nato launched a new training programme in Iraq to teach Iraqi security forces to counter IEDs.
The programme will run alongside Nato-run courses in Iraq on civil-military cooperation.
Image: The counter-IED equipment delivery was financed by Nato's Defence Capacity Building Trust Fund. Photo: courtesy of Nato.
