Kazakh minister: Troops should leave Iraq

The defence minister of Kazakhstan said today that his country’s troops should be withdrawn from Iraq.

“It’s time to think about stopping the work of our contingent in Iraq,” Defence Minister General Mukhtar Altynbayev said.

Kazakhstan currently has 27 soldiers serving in Iraq, where they were deployed in August 2003. The unit is charged with clearing mines and providing water to Iraqis.

One Kazakh soldier has been killed and several wounded.