New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Reuters / Ross Setford)

Ending the Mission, New Zealand Troops will not be Available in Iraq and Pakistan

New Zealand – According to the source, on Monday (6/10) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that, New Zealand will end its mission to help train Iraqi defense forces to fight ISIS guerrillas starting from this month.

It is reported that, since 2015, New Zealand has sent more than 95 troops to Iraq on a joint training mission with Australia, to support the multinational operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that is led by US.

Next month in July, there will around 75 troops including air forces that will be cut and send back to New Zealand before the mission ends in June 2020 meanwhile, in January the remaining 45 other soldiers will also leave the mission in Iraq and Pakistan.

Usually, the troops provided training in basic weapons-using skills and medical and logistical support for military operations for the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in the Taji camp, located in the north of the capital city of Baghdad.

Ardern also stated that, New Zealand will cut 11 personnel that were sent to Afghanistan in the NATO-led mission. However, New Zealand troops will remain there until December 2020 to support training of Afghan military officers.

The Placement of New Zealand troops in Iraq was actually scheduled to end in May 2017. However, they respectively extend the period to help Iraq until 2019.

Arden said on Reuters that, in the next 12 months, New Zealand can finally rest and end the commitment and to think about the next step of the military and security.

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20190610154538-113-402135/selandia-baru-tarik-pasukan-dari-irak-tahun-depan