French combat troops withdraw from Afghan war

[rug]

KABUL | Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:50am EST

KABUL (Reuters) - France withdrew its combat troops from Afghanistan on Tuesday, marking the end of its battlefield role in the NATO-led war after a presence of more than 10 years.

Four hundred French troops returned to the Afghan capital after four years of combat operations in nearby Kapisa province and Kabul's Sarobi district, a spokesman for the French military said, adding they would return to France within days.

"Today is the end of our forward operations. By the end of the year, we will have 1,500 French troops remaining in Afghanistan in non-combat operations," said Lt. Col Guillaume Leroy.

Of those remaining troops, 1,000 will help return military equipment to France and 500 will stay on to provide training for Afghanistan's fledgling army, he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/20/us-afghanistan-france-idUSBRE8AJ11O20121120