UK to deploy military trainers for Jordan IS fight

Britain will deploy military trainers to Jordan in an effort to boost the country's fight against the Islamic State group, Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to announce on Monday.

May will outline measures intended to boost security cooperation between the UK and Jordan's government during a visit to Amman on Monday.

The training will take place in Jordan to boost the country's military ability to strike IS targets. Troops from the Middle Eastern kingdom will also receive training in the UK.

The British leader described Jordan as being at the forefront of "multiple regional crises" and added that cooperation with the kingdom would help "keep British people safe".

Whilst in Amman, the British PM will also discuss cooperation in dealing with Jordan's influx of Syrian refugees who have fled the ongoing war in their country.

The trip is part of a three-day visit to the Middle East, which will include a visit to Saudi Arabia for discussions about trade.

Read more here: Britain's Theresa May set for three-day Middle East mission

Saudi Arabia is the UK's biggest trading partner in the Middle East. According to Amnesty International, the UK and its ally the US have sent more than five billion dollars worth of arms to Riyadh since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015.

In light of sustained pressure on the UK government to condemn Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen, Theresa May said ahead of her trip that in order to "tackle the threats we face from terrorism and from geopolitical instability, we must meet them at their source".

"Likewise in Saudi Arabia," she added. "We must never forget that intelligence we have received in the past from that country has saved potentially hundreds of lives in the UK."