Troops on standby for Kosovo duty
BRITISH troops are on standby to fly to Kosovo in the event of violence breaking out following the province's expected declaration of independence today.
About 600 members of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards will be sent to the new state, if widespread civil unrest follows its split from Serbia.
The soldiers make up the current Nato Response Force, which is tasked with assisting troops deployed in Kosovo, if need be. The Nato-led Kosovo Force (Kfor) has about 15,000 personnel in place.
But if numbers on the ground are deemed insufficient in the case of ethnic violence recurring, extra troops will be moved in. Nato's Response Force rotates its host country every six months, with the UK having taken over on January 1. As such, it will fall upon the 1st Battalion Welsh Guard to go to Kosovo if the need arises. Equipment including armoured vehicles has been earmarked for deployment.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Friday 17 February 2012
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