By KUNA,
Rome : Italian government said it intends to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in coordination with NATO allies under the framework of increasing numbers of deaths among Italian forces.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in statements last night after the death of an Italian soldier during a firefight in the northwestern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the 36th to die since Italy’s mission began in 2004, that this soldier was fighting for peace against terror.
The Prime Minister questioned the necessity of Italian forces stationed in Afghanistan, assuring that the government is looking into an immediate pull-out.
Attacks on Italians have become more frequent since many Taliban insurgents were driven out of the south of the country with 35 casualties. Thirteen soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in 2010 alone.
There are currently some 4,200 Italian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan out of a total international force of nearly 150,000.
The coalition intends to hand over primary responsibility for security to Afghan national forces by 2014.