LONDON
Britain's prime minister said Monday that "boots on the ground" would not return to Iraq, but the government would "look favorably" on a request by Kurdish forces for arms.
Speaking with the BBC, David Cameron said that "Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq."
"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army," he added.
"My priority is to keep people safe here at home, that is my number one, two and three priority."
The prime minister told the BBC that Britain should use all of its assets to help, including its "military prowess."
Over the weekend, Cameron wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper that the Islamic State (IS) was a direct threat to the U.K.
The State has proclaimed a "caliphate" that straddles parts of Syria and Iraq, and has driven an estimated 1.2 million Iraqis from their homes and has particularly targeted Turkmens, Ezidis, Shiite Muslims and Christians.
Cameron said Monday that Britain would "look favorably" on a request by Kurdish forces for arms.
The U.K. has already delivered military equipment supplied by France to Kurdish fighters battling IS, while the United States has carried out bomb strikes on IS targets in what it says is an effort to help Kurdish forces.
IS seized control of Northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June this year and has been advancing on other areas fighting both the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces.
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