Berlin says no plans to shift troops to southern Afghanistan
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Aug 28, IRNA
Germany-Afghanistan-Troops
The German government has no plans to redeploy some of its troops from north Afghanistan to the southern part of the war-stricken country amid rising political violence, a spokesperson for Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in Berlin on Monday.
"There are no indications for such plans. We will continue our efforts for the stabilization of northern Afghanistan," deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg said during a news conference.
"A change of the current mandate is not conceivable and not intended," he added.
Around 2,700 German peacekeeping soldiers are currently deployed in three regions of Afghanistan as part of the 9,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), namely in Kunduz, Faizabad and Mazar-i-Sharif.
Germany's most important military base remains Mazar-i Sharif.
Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung has repeatedly expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, especially in the southern part of the country.
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