THE North Atlantic Treaty Organisaion (NATO) has suspended the training of Iraqi security forces, acting spokesman for the organisation said on Saturday.
The suspension of training activities is coming as fears of a new conflict in the region grow following the U.S. drone strike on a top Iranian commander.
“NATO’s mission is continuing, but training activities are currently suspended,” said acting NATO spokesman Dylan White, adding that the defense alliance was taking all precautions to protect its personnel.
NATO’s current mission in Iraq began in 2018 with the aim of training Iraqi armed forces to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State terrorist group. Several hundred personnel from NATO allies as well as non-NATO countries, including Sweden and Finland, are involved.
A U.S.-led international coalition combatting Islamic State has also made the decision to suspend training of Iraqi security forces, said the German military, which is not part of the NATO Mission Iraq.
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The decision is a precautionary measure to protect deployed soldiers and applies to all partner nations with training missions in Iraq under Operation Inherent Resolve, the Bundeswehr said.
Denmark, Norway and Sweden followed separately with statements, saying that their forces are suspending the training operations that are intended to boost the long-term capacity of Iraqi troops to counter Islamic State militants.
Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was killed along with the deputy head of Iraq’s powerful Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militia, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, in a move that sharply escalated tensions across the Middle East.
Germany has deployed 27 troops in a training capacity to Camp Taji, some 30 kilometres north of Baghdad.
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