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NZ troops stationed in Iraq coming home

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 30 Mar 2020, 4:28PM
(Photo / File)
(Photo / File)

NZ troops stationed in Iraq coming home

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 30 Mar 2020, 4:28PM

New Zealand troops who were stationed at Camp Taji in Iraq are coming home.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark made the announcement today, saying it followed the successful conclusion of the mission at Taji to train Iraqi forces.

"New Zealand is very pleased to have fulfilled its commitment to the Iraqi Government and the Defeat-ISIS Coalition to train Iraqi Security Forces at Taji," Peters said in a statement.

Since December New Zealand has had 45 Defence Force personnel in Taji; 28 personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in Auckland.
Ardern said the returning troops will go into self-isolation.

The Covid-19 outbreak didn't accelerate their return as it was always planned to happen before June.

She acknowledged how hard it would be for troops returning home but unable to see their families for the self-isolation period.

More than 47,000 Iraqis have been trained to fight against ISIS.

Just a handful of personnel will remain in the region for the next two years.

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