Heavy machine guns and ammunition are being donated to Iraq to help fight Islamic State militants, the Ministry of Defence says.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the equipment was worth about £1.6m, and there would be an estimated £475,000 in transport costs.

He said the UK is committed to assisting the Iraqi government and to help Kurdish forces defend themselves.

The equipment is due to arrive in Iraq on Wednesday.

The “gifting” of the equipment is being sent at the request of the Iraqi government, including the Kurdish regional government, Mr Fallon added.

The news comes after Iraq created a new government, sharing posts between the Shia Arab majority, Sunni Arabs and Kurds.

The Islamic State jihadist group has taken control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria and in June declared the creation of a “caliphate”, or Islamic state.

Mr. Fallon said the UK wanted to offer help to the Iraqi authorities by “alleviating the humanitarian suffering” of those Iraqis targeted by IS.

He also said Britain wanted to promote “an inclusive, sovereign and democratic Iraq” that can push back on IS advances and restore stability and security across the country, while working with the international community to tackle the broader threat it poses to the region and countries around the world, including the UK.

He added: “The Kurdish forces remain significantly less well equipped” than IS and the UK was responding to help them.

He said IS was “guilty of shocking brutality”.

“I am pleased that we will supply weapons to the Kurdish forces who are at the front line of combating their violent extremism.”