The German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have removed a large proportion of their small deployment to Iraq following the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani.
The Bundeswehr stated that its forces in Iraq would be transferred to bases in both Jordan and Kuwait, citing the current tensions in the region that were sparked by the United States’ killing of General Soleimani, Kronen Zeitung reports.
A total of 32 troops were sent by aeroplane to Al-Asrak air force base in Jordan on Tuesday and another three were transferred to Kuwait from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
According to Kronen Zeitung, the order is part of a general withdrawal of non-essential personnel under the command of the United States as part of the anti-Islamic State coalition.
Several other countries have also begun to reposition or remove troops from Iraq including Croatia, which transferred 14 troops from Baghdad to Kuwait and another seven who are expected to be returned back to Croatia.
On Tuesday, fellow NATO member Canada also announced it would be pausing operations in Iraq with General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, releasing a letter on Twitter addressed to Canadian troops and their families.
“The situation in Iraq is complex and it is best to pause our work there in order to fully concentrate our attention and efforts towards the safety and security of our personnel while the situation develops,” Vance said and added that troops would be moved to Kuwait but did not specify how many of the 500 troops in Iraq would be relocated.
Domestic tensions in Germany also remain high after the death of Soleimani with the libertarian Free Democrat foreign policy expert Alexander Graf Lambsdorff warning that Iran may target Europe in retaliation for the death of Soleimani using terror tactics.
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