Slovakia to send soldiers to Iraq to train security forces

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Slovakia’s defence ministry says the government has approved a plan to send 25 soldiers to Iraq to help train Iraqi security forces as part of a NATO mission.

Peter Gajdos says the Slovak service members will focus on demining and also supporting the local military in the repairs of the Soviet-made weapons.

The group is expected to leave Slovakia by Oct. 30 and will have a mandate to stay in Iraq for a year. The mission still needs to be approved by the country’s Parliament where the coalition government of Prime Minister Robert Fico has a comfortable majority.

The defence ministry said on Wednesday the Slovak soldiers will not engage in combat.