The Pentagon has confirmed the U.S. is flying armed drones over Baghdad, to protect American troops that have recently arrived in the country.

The U.S. military has confirmed it has been flying aircraft – both manned and unmanned – over Iraq for the past week. The decision to arm the drones comes following the return of U.S. troops to the country; there as a force to advise and assist Iraqi security forces.

"The reason that some of those aircraft are armed is primarily for force protection reasons now that we have introduced into the country some military advisers whose objective will be to operate outside the confines of the embassy," the Defense Department's spokesperson, Rear Admiral John Kirby said.