Iraqi naval forces carried out joint military exercises with a US naval force in near Basra oil port, 28 nautical miles away from the international waters, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The military drill includes training on how the participating forces could administer first aid in battle, the ministry added.

Iraqi cadets of the Maritime Vocational Training Center attended the military maneuver carried out in coordination with an American destroyer.

The Iraqi joint operations command asserted that some 200 US Marines have arrived in Iraq to conduct joint military exercise with the Iraqi naval forces outside the international waters.

The military drill is part of a US plan to train Iraq's naval forces. The role of the US-led coalition forces here is restricted to training and providing air support for Iraqi forces to fight Daesh militants, according to the Iraqi joint operations command. 

Source : MENA