The Belgian military contingent in Afghanistan is a unit of the Belgian armed forces established in 2002. In 2002 - 2014 acted as part of the ISAF forces.
| Belgian military contingent in Afghanistan | |
|---|---|
| Years of existence | since 2002 |
| A country |  Belgium |
| Subordination | Belgian Ministry of Defense |
| Included in | ISAF (2002 - 2014) |
| Participation in | war in Afghanistan |
History
In April 2006, the contingent was 287 troops [1] , later it was increased [2] .
On August 31, 2007, four Belgian soldiers were injured in a suicide attack at an airport in Kabul [3]
In September 2008, the Belgian Air Force arrived at the Kandahar airbase (six F-16s , which had completed over 5,000 flights with a total duration of 15,000 hours by September 28, 2014) [4] .
On September 8, 2009, 5 Belgian soldiers were injured in an attack by a Belgian unit at Kabul Airport [5] .
In 2011, it was decided to reduce the contingent and in 2012 the bulk of the contingent left Afghanistan.
In April 2012, a Belgian officer was injured in Kandahar province [6] .
As of August 1, 2013, the contingent was 180 troops [7] .
On December 28, 2014, the NATO command announced that Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan was completed. Nevertheless, hostilities continued in the country and foreign troops remained in the country - in accordance with Operation Strong Support , which began on January 1, 2015, although the total number of NATO troops was reduced.
In July 2018, the Belgian military contingent was 78 military personnel [8] .
Results
The loss of the Belgian contingent in Afghanistan amounted to 1 soldier killed and 14 wounded.
In addition to the military personnel of the Belgian armed forces, Belgian contract soldiers (translators, service personnel, as well as employees of private military and security companies) took part in the operation [9] .
In addition, in the summer of 2003, an infantry unit of 10 Luxembourg troops (who served in the Belgian military contingent) was deployed to the ISAF.
Notes
- ↑ Belgium will increase its military contingent in Afghanistan // RIA Novosti on April 1, 2006
- ↑ Belgium sends an additional contingent to Afghanistan // “News. RU ”of August 3, 2008
- ↑ Suicide bomber hits near Kabul airport // “USA Today” on August 31, 2007
- ↑ Nations, Impacts and Contributions - Belgium / NATO official website of October 22, 2014
- ↑ Plus aucun soldat belge ne surveille l'aéroport de Kaboul // “Le Soir” on October 17, 2012
- ↑ Belgian military repatriated wounded in Afghanistan Archived June 22, 2012 to Wayback Machine // “The Lahore Times” April 9, 2012
- ↑ International Security Assistance Force (ISAF): Key Facts and Figures // NATO Official Website, August 1, 2013
- ↑ Resolute Support Mission: Key Facts and Figures
- ↑ report "The role of private security companies (PSCs) in CSDP missions and operations" dated April 12, 2011 // official website of the European Parliament