West Asia

UAE to send troops to Afghanistan on ‘training’ mission

 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is to send troops to Afghanistan for what is said to be a training and support mission in the war-torn country.

The Afghan National Security Council (NSC) announced in a statement that it had approved a proposal by the Emirates to send the forces at a gathering presided by President Ashraf Ghani.

Though the UAE is not a NATO member, the mobilization is to take place as part of the Resolute Support mission under the Security Agreement between the US-led military alliance and Kabul.

The NSC statement, though, did not specify the timing or the size of the Emirati force. Abu Dhabi has not made any comments concerning the issue either.

Resolute Support currently recruits more than 15,000 foreign forces.

The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the banner of “war on terror.” The invasion ended the Taliban militant group’s five-year-old rule.

The group has, however, never stopped causing bloodshed and destruction throughout the Central Asian nation.

In January, a study released by the BBC found out that the militants were active in 70 percent of Afghanistan’s soil, fully controlling four percent of the country and having presence in another 66 percent.

Taliban active in 70% of Afghanistan: Study

A BBC study finds that Taliban militants are openly active in 70 percent of Afghanistan’s territory.

The group launches yearly “spring” assaults to expand its sway. It deadliest recent attack targeted the western Farah Province, during which it killed dozens of police members.

US military and NATO commander Gen. John Nicholson had recently said that the Emirates and Qatar sought to dispatch troops to Afghanistan.

Abu Dhabi is currently part of a Saudi Arabia-led war against Yemen, which seeks to restore the impoverished country’s former Riyadh-allied government.

More than 14,000 have reportedly died since the beginning of the offensive.

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