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More British troops off to Kosovo | More British troops off to Kosovo |
(30 minutes later) | |
A battalion of 600 British troops will be sent to Kosovo, Defence Secretary Des Browne has announced. | A battalion of 600 British troops will be sent to Kosovo, Defence Secretary Des Browne has announced. |
It follows a Nato request for extra soldiers to maintain public order in the newly independent country. | It follows a Nato request for extra soldiers to maintain public order in the newly independent country. |
Britain is responsible for providing the body's standby reserve force for the first six months of this year. | |
The soldiers, from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, will be deployed to Kosovo from the end of May for one month to help Nato with peacekeeping activities. | The soldiers, from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, will be deployed to Kosovo from the end of May for one month to help Nato with peacekeeping activities. |
There are currently 150 British troops working in Kosovo. | |
This latest deployment comes in response to a Nato request to deal with violence between Kosovo's ethnic Albanians and its minority Serbian population. | |
Mr Browne said in a written statement: "The security situation has remained tense and there have been some sporadic incidents of violence." | |
He said sending the battalion to Kosovo will demonstrate Britain's commitment to the region's security and will provide extra flexibility in maintaining local peace and stability. |