Mongolia sends 7th batch of peacekeepers to Iraq

More than 100 Mongolian soldiers left for Iraq on board a special flight, making them the seventh military contingent from Mongolia to support the peacekeeping mission for a six-month term, local media reported on Wednesday.

The chief of the general staff of the Mongolian armed forces, Lt. Gen. Ts. Togoo saw off the peacekeepers on Tuesday, saying the mission had improved the country's popularity in the world and broadened military cooperation with foreign countries.

The troops will join U.S. soldiers on patrol missions and maintaining order in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. They will replace the sixth batch of Mongolian peacekeeping forces, which has been there since March.

Togoo was also quoted as saying that Mongolia had decided to send its second batch of troops to Kosovo as part of the peacekeeping mission.

Over 360 Mongolian military personnel are serving abroad as peacekeepers. The country is reported to have set up a special unit to join international peacekeeping operations.

At the request of the United States, Mongolia dispatched its first batch of 173 troops to help boost peacekeeping operations and reconstruction efforts in post-war Iraq in September 2003.

Source: Xinhua