President Barack Obama has announced he is sending 1,500 more troops to Iraq, almost doubling the current deployment.

The White House, which said the new forces would not serve in a combat role, also asked Congress for $5.6bn (€4.5bn) to fund the mission against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The request includes $1.6bn for an "Iraq Train and Equip Fund".

The new troops will support the approximately 1,600 US personnel already in Iraq, under what the Pentagon calls Operation Inherent Resolve.

"As a part of our strategy for strengthening partners on the ground, President Obama today authorized the deployment of up to 1,500 additional US military personnel in a non-combat role to train, advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces, including Kurdish forces," said the White House.

Mr Obama has also approved the new troops operating at military facilities outside Baghdad and Irbil, said press secretary Josh Earnest.

The US says its troops are helping to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces to battle Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq.

On Friday morning, President Obama hosted members of Congress at the White House, where he was expected to brief them on the fight against Islamic State, among other issues.

The US has steadily ramped up its mission in Iraq since Mr Obama announced in June that 300 military advisers would be sent back to the country, three years after American forces withdrew.

Earlier this week, the UK said it would step up its military presence in Iraq as it seeks to train local ground forces to take on the jihadists.