PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The Czech defence ministry says the government has approved its plan to keep troops in Afghanistan for at least two more years.
The ministry said in a statement Monday that up to 350 soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016 as part of a NATO-led force.
Monday's approval comes three months after five Czechs were killed by a suicide bomber in the eastern province of Parwan in what was largest number of Czechs killed in a single attack in a mission abroad.
The deployment is part of a plan of foreign missions for the next two years. The Czechs also pledge to stay in various international forces in the Balkans, Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.
The current centre-left government has a majority in Parliament to approve it.
