Monitoring Desk
FARAH CITY: Around 50 Italian troops have arrived western Farah province to support Afghan forces during operations against militants, an official said on Wednesday.
Nasir Mehri, the governor’s spokesman, told Afghan media outlet the Italian soldiers reached the province on Tuesday night. The foreign troops are currently stationed at the airport.
He said that the international soldiers would support the Afghan security personnel in decisive clearing operations, which would be launched in Bala Baluk, Bakwa and Pusht Rod districts in the near future.
Militants have recently intensified attacks on security check-posts in the districts. Dr Mohammad Arif Shah Jahan recently resigned as governor after protests against the security situation.
Earlier, US and Italian troops had deployed to the province to support Afghan forces against the insurgents in 2001. But they left Farah in 2013.
At present, more than 13,500 foreign troops are stationed in Afghanistan in the framework of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission. A thousand of them are from Italy.
