Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop speaks during a news conference. (Associated Press)
Australia will soon deploy 200 special forces troops in Iraq to advise and assist Iraqi security forces a month after the Australians were sent to the Middle East.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement from Baghdad on Monday that she had secured the necessary legal guarantees to go ahead with the deployment of the elite troops.
The Australian special forces arrived a month ago in the United Arab Emirates to participate in the coalition put together to battle the Islamic State group.
At the same time, Australia also sent six F/A-18F Super Hornet jet fighters which are flying almost daily combat missions against Islamic State targets in northern Iraq.