Germany and the Netherlands said Wednesday they were halting their training of soldiers in Iraq as tensions rise between neighbouring Iran and the United States.

"The German army has suspended the training," defence ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said, adding that there was "generally heightened alert, awareness" for soldiers currently operating in the region.

Flosdorff said training may resume in the next few days and that there was "no concrete threat" at the moment.

Germany has about 160 soldiers deployed in Iraq, including 60 in Taji, just to the north of Baghdad, and 100 in Erbil, in Kurdish-controlled northern territory.

Separately, the Netherlands' defence ministry said it was also suspending its training mission in Iraq due to "threats", the Dutch ANP news agency said.

More than 50 Dutch soldiers are training Kurdish troops in Erbil in the context of the international coalition against the Islamic State group, ANP said.

The defence ministry website says the Netherlands also supplies two military advisers and four civilian experts to the NATO "capacity-building mission" in Baghdad.

Lithuania, which has eight soldiers in Iraq, said it did not plan to halt its mission.

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Fears of new jihadist 'academies' as Iraqi jails fill up
Baghdad (AFP) May 9, 2019
As Iraq tries thousands of locals and foreigners accused of joining the Islamic State group, experts warn its jails could once again become "academies" for jihadists. Prison was a pivotal moment for many prominent jihadists - not least of them Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, IS's Iraqi supremo who remains at large despite the collapse of his "caliphate" in March. Baghdadi was held in Camp Bucca, a sprawling US-run complex in the southern Iraqi desert, where he is thought to have essentially "come of age" ... read more