Bulgaria Welcomes Back 418 Rangers from Afghanistan

Bulgarian state officials welcomed back home on Saturday 418 rangers from the country's NATO-led ISAF forces in Afghanistan.

Bulgaria's former government adopted in mid-January a long anticipated decision to terminate partly the Bulgarian military mission in the NATO-led ISAF forces in Afghanistan.

The decision came in accordance with strategy for transformation of Bulgaria's participation in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, which was approved by the government at the end of 2011, following a decision by the USA under President Barack Obama's plan for a major withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2014.

Bulgaria's military presence in Afghanistan initially consisted of 530 rangers, and was later boosted to 600.

By the end of 2014 Bulgaria will continue to maintain its security company guarding the interior zone at the Kandahar Airport as well its teams of advisers to the local security forces.

After 2014, Bulgaria will continue its participation in NATO's mission in Afghanistan only with teams of advisers stationed on the ground with the Afghan security forces and the local authorities.