DEFENCE Minister Martin Glváč welcomed home 242 Slovak members of the last rotation returning from Afghanistan, where they served within the ISAF operation, in Topoľčany on October 7.
“This a very nice duty ... Mainly having in mind the tragic events in 2013: three of our soldiers being killed and two injured – I am happy that all members of this last rotation returned healthy and that they are well,” Glváč said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “Meanwhile, 55 troops remain in Afghanistan. They are set to return at the end of the year, and that will be the conclusion of the ISAF operation.”
The Slovak defence minister praised Slovak soldiers for having made a good name for their country, and noted that they have been praised by virtually all representatives of NATO militaries.
More than 3,500 Slovak soldiers have joined the ISAF operation since it was launched 10 years ago. For example, they demined a territory of more than two million square metres and each month checked around 20,000 cars at military base checkpoints, TASR wrote.
Slovakia is set to send to Afghanistan two rotations of 65 soldiers each year as part of a NATO support mission.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
