Minister to review East Timor-bound troops

The Minister for Defence and the Defence Forces Chief of Staff will today review Irish troops due to depart on a four-month tour of duty in East Timor.

The 42 troops will be the sixth Irish component to travel with the United Nations to the troubled region when they depart on Friday.

The majority of the troops come from the Fifth Infantry Battallion based in Dublin.

They have undergone physically and mentally demanding training since February to prepare for the trip, including jungle combat operations, tracking skills, survival techniques and search and sweep operations.