MAZAR -E- SHARIF - A flag lowering ceremony was held at Marmal camp in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan on Saturday to mark the official end of the Croatian army’s presence in the country.
The ceremony ended Croatia’s participation in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and saw the last of its 70 troops leave the country.
At the peak of their participation, around 100 Croatian servicemen and women were stationed in Afghanistan but by July this year, the number was down to 76.
Resolute Support is the NATO-led, non-combat mission launched on 1 January 2015, following the conclusion of the previous NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission.
Earlier this year, the Resolute Support Mission consisted of around 16,000 troops from 38 NATO Allies and partners.
But following the agreement in February, between the US and the Taliban, it was agreed that they would reduce their troop presence in Afghanistan over the next few months from around 16,000 personnel to about 12,000.
Already, the US has withdrawn a large number of troops – down from 13,000 to 8,600 and another drawdown of about 4,000 troops is expected by November. (ATN)