Malaysia to send military personnel to Afghanistan

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is sending military personnel to Afghanistan for the first time to provide medical and humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged country, officials said Thursday.

Twelve personnel were scheduled to leave for Afghanistan later Thursday and 28 others will join them by September, said Lt. Col. Salawati Yahaya, a Malaysian defense ministry representative.

The troops, who include doctors and paramedics, are expected to be deployed for between six to nine months in Bamiyan province northeast of the capital, Kabul, to work with New Zealand's 140-strong provincial reconstruction team there.

Salawati said Afghanistan requested medical assistance. "They need Muslim doctors from Malaysia," she said.

Muslim-majority Malaysia strongly opposed the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Defense Ministry stressed in a statement that the Malaysian personnel would not have any combat roles, but would focus on health services, dental care and other community work.