France concludes Afghan combat role
Source: Agencies |
November 21, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FRANCE yesterday ended its combat operations in Afghanistan, pulling hundreds of troops from a base in a volatile region northeast of Kabul and fulfilling promises to end its combat role on a faster track than other NATO allies.
After a handover ceremony with Afghan troops, 500 French combat soldiers in trucks and armored vehicles left the Nijrab base in the Kapisa region - where anti-government insurgents have been active - and traveled southwest to Kabul, the capital, said Colonel Thierry Burkhard, a French military spokesman.
"This is the end of combat operations," Burkhard said, adding the withdrawal went smoothly. "It's the end of support operations for the Afghan National Army because we have no more troops who can deploy in such a role."
France was once one of the largest contributors to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, with a peak deployment of 4,000 soldiers - though far smaller than the tens of thousands of US troops there. Since mid-2008, French forces were deployed in Kapisa, a strategic region along mountains between Kabul and the Pakistani border.
Eighty-eight French soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since late 2001.
After a handover ceremony with Afghan troops, 500 French combat soldiers in trucks and armored vehicles left the Nijrab base in the Kapisa region - where anti-government insurgents have been active - and traveled southwest to Kabul, the capital, said Colonel Thierry Burkhard, a French military spokesman.
"This is the end of combat operations," Burkhard said, adding the withdrawal went smoothly. "It's the end of support operations for the Afghan National Army because we have no more troops who can deploy in such a role."
France was once one of the largest contributors to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, with a peak deployment of 4,000 soldiers - though far smaller than the tens of thousands of US troops there. Since mid-2008, French forces were deployed in Kapisa, a strategic region along mountains between Kabul and the Pakistani border.
Eighty-eight French soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since late 2001.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
