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Slovenia decreases military presence in Afghanistan

18 September 2013 03:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Slovenia will send later this month 35 soldiers to Afghanistan, 21 less than the number of troops doing the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) mission in the country, local media reported on Tuesday, APA reports quoting AP.

The downsized Slovenian military presence in Afghanistan is in line with international agreements and the dynamics of the ISAF operation, which comes to a close at the end of 2014.

Prior to its coming 20th military rotation, Slovenia has had more than 1,000 military men deployed in the war-torn Afghanistan since March 2004, according to sources of the Slovenian Defence Ministry.

After years of war in Afghanistan since October 2001, the U.S.-led NATO forces announced plans to hand over security responsibilities to Afghan forces in 2013, and to withdraw the ISAF by the end of 2014.

Slovenian soldiers have been mainly involved in training Afghan soldiers since the first batch of Slovenian troops were sent to Afghanistan for the NATO-led ISAF mission in March 2004.