Polish defence minister visits troops in Afghanistan

MI 8 helicopters, Afghanistan; photo - pkw afghanistan

The minister is being accompanied by the head of the Polish National Security Bureau, General Stanisław Koziej.

Minister Siemoniak is visiting the troops and overseeing a change in command.
Minister Siemoniak met today with troops wounded when Lance Corporal Mariusz Deptuła was killed in Afghanistan on patrol, Sunday, the 31st Pole to die in the country since Poland joined the ISAF-led mission there.

“You can see that a lot of work and effort has been made to secure medical services for soldiers at a level which could be provided for them back in Poland. We have very good medical specialists, with the support of Ukrainian doctors,” the minister of defence said after visiting a field hospital.

Poland, which currently has 2,500 troops stationed in the country, has already announced that it intends to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014. (hh/pg)