Czech experts, troops are off to Afghanistan

A group of Czech civilian experts, together with 50 troops, left for Afghanistan on Thursday to reinforce the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team in the country’s Logar province. While the troops will join the Czech contingent in Afghanistan, the three civilian experts are set to coordinate work in the fields of agriculture, construction and hydrology. The Czech Defence Ministry said another five experts would be joining the Provincial Reconstruction Team in due time. They will follow up projects started by the Americans, including the construction of two hospitals and a school. The Czech team will work in Afghanistan for three to five years; besides the team in the Logar province, the Czechs also run a hospital in the capital Kabul.