New Zealand to withdraw its troop from Iraq, Afghanistan

Wellington: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday announced that New Zealand will withdraw its troops from Iraq by June next year and end a mission that helped train Iraqi defence forces to fight Islamic State militants.

New Zealand had deployed troops in Iraq in 2015, with 95 soldiers to support the multinational U.S.-led operation against Islamic State.

News 18 quoted Ardern as saying, “Over the next 12 months, New Zealand will be able to wind down and conclude that commitment.”

Before wrapping up the mission by June 2020, troop numbers would be cut to a maximum of 75 from July and 45 from next January.

Besides Iraq, New Zealand will cut to 11 personnel, from 13, its deployment to a NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, but troops would remain until December 2020, to support the training of Afghan army officers.