Eurocorps neemt commando ISAF in Afghanistan over (en)

The European military outfit, Eurocorps, is to take over command of the international peacekeeping force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

General Jean-Louis Py left over the weekend for the Afghan capital Kabul, where Eurocorps will take command of the NATO-run peacekeeping force for six months today (9 August), according to AFP.

Eurocorps is made up of troops from Belgium, Spain, Germany, France and Luxembourg and is certified as a rapid reaction force for NATO.

General Py takes over as the security situation in Afghanistan is rapidly deteriorating ahead of presidential elections in October - which the Taliban have pledged to disrupt.

It is Eurocorps' first operation outside Europe since it was set up in 1992 and it will take over from Canadians officers who have been leading the operation to date.

According to the BBC, Eurocorps is not being welcomed as some suggest that the five-nation organisation is much more unwieldy than the Canadian military force.

ISAF consists of almost 7,000 troops from 33 countries and was set up by the United Nations in December 2001.