Canada ending battle mission in Afghanistan

09 July CNN

Canada is formally completing its fighting mission in Afghanistan this week, a move that marks the end of a robust combat presence centered in the dangerous and violent southern province of Kandahar.

The Canadian military on Tuesday formally transferred its last district in the province to the United States, where the U.S. 3rd Battalion 21st Regiment took over from the Canadian 1st Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment. On Thursday, Canadian Brig. Gen. Dean Milner will transfer command of NATO-led troops in Kandahar’s Panjwai and Dand districts to U.S. command.

This transition comes as other countries make preparations for drawdowns and shifting to plans for non-combat missions in Afghanistan, such as training.U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced the withdrawal of 33,000 American troops by the end of next year. France announced that it would also begin to reduce troop numbers, saying it “will initiate a progressive withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan, and will follow a timetable comparable to the withdrawal of the American troops.”

One of more than 40 countries participating in NATO’s International Security Assistance Force with nearly 3,000 troops, Canada has lost more than 157 troops in the war, the third highest death toll after the United States and Britain.