South Asia » Pakistan
Monday, December 26, 2005
US troops to leave Pak's quake-hit areas in March
Indo-Asian News Service
Islamabad, December 26, 2005
American troops assisting in relief and rehabilitation operations will leave Pakistan's earthquake-hit areas in March, US Ambassador Ryan C Crocker has said.
There are over 1,000 US personnel in Pakistan to "assist with relief efforts," according to the US embassy.
Crocker announced the withdrawal of the soldiers during a visit to the quake-hit areas in Pakistani Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), private Geo TV reported on Sunday.
The television report quoted Crocker as saying that he had discussed the issue with Pakistan's relief commissioner and the understanding is that the soldiers will leave Pakistan by the end of March.
However, the ambassador said the US forces could stay if a request was made and if they were needed there.
Crocker visited US soldiers in Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, and Shinkiari, a town in the NWFP, and exchanged Christmas greetings with them, according to the report.
A US army mobile surgical hospital operating in Muzaffarabad and a US Combined Medical Relief Team operating in Shinkiari have provided urgent medical care to over 9,000 injured people, the report said.
© HT Media Ltd. 2005.