Defense Minister holds surprise visit to Czech forces serving in Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Outgoing Czech Defense Minister Karla Slechtova on Thursday visited her country’s soldiers serving in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS).

The Czech minister, in an unannounced visit, arrived in Iraq’s capital and met with Iraqi officials, the Defense Ministry revealed in a statement.

Accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Ales Opata, on a two-day trip, Slechtova visited three Czech military units operating in Iraq.

The European Union member has three military units stationed in Iraq. They are conducting training for the Iraqi police and pilots flying Czech L-159 fighter jets. They also sent anti-chemical warfare instructors to the war-torn country.

“It clearly arose from talks with our partners that security is the top priority. It is an essential requirement to allow the country to rebuild,” Prague Monitor quoted Slechtova as saying.

The Czech government is expected to debate its participation in foreign military missions next week. Any changes would need to be approved by the government and then the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

Slechtova had recently suggested increasing the number of forces serving in Iraq from 60 to 110 over the coming two years.

Iraq declared victory over IS in December 2017 after years of fierce fighting against the jihadist group. Since then, IS has adopted insurgency tactics, launching attacks in different parts of the country, namely in the Kirkuk, Diyala, and Baghdad provinces.

Editing by Nadia Riva