Iraqi cleric Sayyed Moqtada al-Sadr warned that hundreds more American troops being sent to Iraq are "a target for us".

Iraqi cleric Sayyed Moqtada al-Sadr warned that hundreds more American troops being sent to Iraq are "a target for us".

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter announced on a recent visit to Baghdad that 560 extra military personnel would be sent as part of efforts to combat the ISIL Takfiri group.

"They are a target for us," Sayyed Sadr said in a statement on his website on Sunday, responding to a question about Carter's announcement.

Sadr's Mahdi Army paramilitary group was one of America's main foes in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, engaging in fierce fighting with US troops in Baghdad and the city of Najaf to its south.

Sadr's forces -- now called Saraya al-Salam -- have taken part in operations against ISIL, but one of their main tasks has been the defense of shrines and other religious sites.

Iraqi forces -- including pro-government paramilitaries groups-- have regained significant ground from ISIL.

With Carter's announcement, a total of more than 4,600 American military personnel are now authorized to be in Iraq.