Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic's defense ministry has proposed increasing the number of its service members deployed in Afghanistan and other countries.
Between this year and 2020, the ministry is planning to deploy 390 soldiers in Afghanistan, up from the current 230 as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission that provides training, advice and assistance to local security forces.
Up to 110 Czechs will be in Iraq, including military training instructors, and some 120 soldiers will be dispatched to Mali and Africa's Sahel region as part of a European Union force.
Other Czechs will be also operating in the Baltic states.
According to the plan, which still needs parliamentary approval, the total number of Czech soldiers abroad will reach almost 1,200 next year, from the current 800.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
