In the fight against the fanatics of Islamic State, lipstick might seem an unlikely weapon. But for the woman warriors of Iraqi Kurdistan makeup is essential – if they die they want to look beautiful.

Currently in training with British soldiers, the peshmerga fighters are defending the crucial Mosul Dam from the IS hordes.

One of them, Ahd Mohemed, starts her morning by drawing on her eyebrows, putting on mascara, applying lipstick and painting her nails before grabbing her combat fatigues and AK-47.

‘I always put on lipstick before I go on the frontline,’ said the 36-year-old. ‘When we fight we want to look pretty. If I die, I want to die looking pretty.’

Peshmerga fighter Ahd Mohemed (pictured), starts her morning by drawing on her eyebrows, putting on mascara, applying lipstick and painting her nails before grabbing her combat fatigues and AK-47

Currently in training with British soldiers, the peshmerga fighters are defending the crucial Mosul Dam from the IS hordes. Pictured is 28-year-old fighter Alham

Miss Mohemed, who suspended her law degree a year ago to fight the terrorists, added: ‘I have not killed anyone yet. God willing, the next time sure.

‘It is scary fighting Daesh (IS) of course. They are very dangerous. We want to kill them because they want to kill us but we would rather not have to fight with anyone.’

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, The Rifles, are giving three-week basic infantry courses to the women’s battalion near the frontline in Erbil, northern Iraq. So far more than 100 have graduated.

Lieutenant Colonel Oz Lane, the commander of the 80-strong UK training unit, said: ‘What the female peshmerga are really proud of is their war fighting skills. Now it is about showing them what they can bring in terms of operational capability on the battlefield, in addition to just being really good at fighting Daesh.

‘Having identified three companies, we started training one on basic infantry skills and within that package, the law of armed conflict, the protection of civilians and preventing sexual violence.’

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: ‘These brave female peshmerga fighters will help ensure that Daesh are kicked out of Iraq for good and we must keep supporting them.’

The female peshmerga are noted for their bravery and teenagers are desperate to join the fight. Susan Mohammed Rashid, 16, who lives in a refugee camp for Syrian Kurds just outside Erbil, said: ‘When I am 18 I want to join the peshmerga. I am very strong and I do weights in my spare time to get ready.’

The female peshmerga are noted for their bravery and teenagers are desperate to join the fight. Pictured is 21-year-old warrior Berevan

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, The Rifles, are giving three-week basic infantry courses to the women’s battalion near the frontline in Erbil, northern Iraq. So far more than 100 have graduated. Pictured, a graduation

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: ‘These brave female peshmerga fighters will help ensure that Daesh are kicked out of Iraq for good and we must keep supporting them'

Her uncle was killed in April last year by Islamic State amid fighting near Mosul.

At the base in Mosul Dam there are 20 women, between the ages of 18 and 40.

Lieutenant Colonel Jamil Zerv, who is one of two just men in the unit, said: ‘Daesh is a strong enemy so everyone has to fight them. Women, men and all ages. When Daesh hear the peshmerga name, they are afraid.’

According to a local guide, Omar Hussein, the women have a major advantage on the battlefield: ‘Daesh are frightened of the female peshmerga fighters because they believe if they are killed by them they will not go to paradise.’ Lt Col Lane said his men were conducting training near the frontline because the Kurdish militias could not afford to stray too far from the combat zone.

Insisting his team was out of the range of IS weapons, he added: ‘The reality is that this is important for the UK, not just because Daesh have an intent to commit something like Paris, now Brussels, in the UK but also because in this country there are 1.2million internally displaced people.

‘There’s a link between these people and mass migration and the more secure we make this country then the more we alleviate displaced people.’

Susan Mohammed Rashid, 16, who lives in a refugee camp for Syrian Kurds just outside Erbil, dreams of becoming a peshmerga when she turns 18

Suzan's 32-year-old uncle was killed in April last year by Islamic State when he was shot through the heart amid fighting near Mosul

According to a local guide, Omar Hussein, the women have a major advantage on the battlefield as ISIS fighters are scared of them 'because they believe if they are killed by them they will not go to paradise'

Peshmerga fighters are being taught sniper skills by 1 Rifles as well as to how to use machine guns and how to defend themselves from attack. Another unit, 33 Engineer Regiment, is using skills acquired in Afghanistan to teach the fighters how to counter roadside bombs just with drinks bottles.

And members of the Royal Army Medical Corps are demonstrating techniques that can save lives on the battlefield. Lt Col Lane said many of the peshmerga fighters could not leave the frontline and, even when on leave, had to work as taxi drivers to earn money. He said: ‘The existential threat here is the economy. The Ministry of Peshmerga doesn’t have a budget.

‘If money is an issue and also your numbers are an issue then they don’t want to bring the guys in off leave to do training because they are earning money. What we do is we go to them. We take the training not on the forward line but just behind it. We call it mission rehearsal training. I’m proud to say we, the UK, pioneered this and now we’ve got the Dutch following and working with us and other nations looking to do the same.’

Peshmerga fighters are being taught sniper skills by 1 Rifles as well as to how to use machine guns and how to defend themselves from attack

Members of the Royal Army Medical Corps are demonstrating techniques that can save lives on the battlefield. Pictured are 19-year-old Shereh Muhamad (left) and 20-year-old Sherin (right)

Previously the peshmerga had been suffering up to 80 per cent of their casualties as a result of improvised explosive devices but after training this has been cut to zero

Over the past few months there have been chemical weapons attacks on villages across northern Iraq and British troops have been equipped with protective suits as a result.

Lt Col Lane said the roadside bomb training his men had overseen was having a dramatic impact on Kurdish forces.

Previously the peshmerga had been suffering up to 80 per cent of their casualties as a result of improvised explosive devices but after training this has been cut to zero.

In Sinjar, west of Mosul, trained fighters decommissioned 5,000 IEDs with no casualties. Coalition airstrikes, including British attacks, have also played an ‘instrumental role’ in driving back the jihadists, according to a local commander.

Over the past few months there have been chemical weapons attacks on villages across northern Iraq and British troops have been equipped with protective suits as a result

British Army soldiers, pictured in Iraqi Kurdistan, where they are training the local Peshmerga, including female fighters, in their fight against ISIS

Major General Sardar Karem said: ‘At any time we have a risk and great threat we let the coalition know and they will bring planes to bomb Daesh.’ Outlining the need for British help, he said: ‘We consider our people as a force acting on behalf of the British and the rest of the world. We shed our blood instead of them but we need their equipment and we need their weapons.

‘It is important people understand what is happening here and how dangerous the situation is because if we do not stop them here there could be more attacks in Europe. We would die defending our country but if Europe does not help it could become like Iraq.’