(KUNA) -- South Korea has cut its military presence in Iraq by 890 troops, and plans to reduce an additional 100 troops by the end of the year to downscale the Zaytun unit in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil to some 2,300, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. | “South Korea deployed some 3,300 troops at the request of the US government, making it the third-largest troop contribution to the coalition after the US and Britain...” |
The ministry said it has started discussions to decide whether to submit to the National Assembly a motion to extend the deployment of the contingent whose tour of duty expires at the end of December, according to public broadcaster KBS.
Zaytun unit, which means 'olive' in Arabic, was deployed in late 2003 to help reconstruction efforts in Irbil. South Korea deployed some 3,300 troops in the city at the request of the US government, making it the third-largest troop contribution to the coalition after the US and Britain. Meanwhile, a total of 1,179 replacement soldiers left for Iraq Wednesday after a farewell ceremony, while about 1,800 will be returning home, South Korean Yonhap News Agency said. The troop reduction, the third of its kind since April, is to take place in six stages until mid-September, when more homecoming soldiers will be replaced by ones arriving in Irbil, it said. |