good evening, everyone. i m erin burnett. out front tonight more troops headed to iraq as we get word that john kerry is expected to travel to the country soon. president obama today promising that troops wouldn t be combat troops saying military advisers will head to iraq to combat the terror group isis that is gaining ground. we re prepared to send a small number of additional american military advisers, up to 300, to assess how we can best train, advise and support iraqi security forces going forward. some are now asking is this mission creep? in iraq today the country s security forces are conducting air strikes of their own targeting militants who took control of tal afar, one of five major cities that have been completely or partially overtaken by isis. 50 rebels were killed in those strikes. mourners laid to rest 31 relatives when isis militants attacked three villages burning homes, women and elderly among the dead. they re raging at the country s biggest oil refi