France will send some 40 troops to Iraq in coming days and weeks to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces combating Islamic State fighters, a military spokesman said on Thursday, adding to a growing number of Western coalition troops on the ground. Military staff will be sent to Baghdad and Arbil, in the Kurdish region of Iraq, for a training mission expected to last about three months. Overall some 800 French troops are involved in support roles in the Western coalition against Islamic State in addition to nine Rafale war jets, six Mirage jets, a refueling plane and a navy patrol plane deployed in the Gulf region.