Poland to speed up troop pullout from Afghanistan
Iran Press TV
Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:10PM GMT
Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak says his country will accelerate the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, reducing the number of its soldiers deployed there to about 500 by May this year.
Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw on Wednesday, Siemoniak stated that the decision had been taken in consultation with Poland's allies.
He said it had previously been expected that a 1000-strong Polish contingent would stay in Afghanistan until the end of 2014, in line with the schedule laid down by the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Siemoniak went on to add that the Polish troops who remain in Afghanistan will move from their base in the eastern province of Ghazni to the US-run Bagram Air Base in the northeastern province of Parwan.
Poland is believed to have had some 1,600 soldiers in Afghanistan.
According to official figures released by the website icasualties.org, 38 Polish troops have lost their lives in war-battered Afghanistan.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of Washington's so-called war on terror.
The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across the country, despite the presence of thousands of US-led troops.
MP/SS
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