Prague, Nov 16 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will soon send ten million submachine gun cartridges and 5000 hand grenades to the Iraqi government and Kurds, a second part of the aid the government approved some time ago, Vladimir Lukovsky, from the press department of the Defence Ministry, told CTK on Monday.
The first part of the ammunition will be loaded at the airport in Pardubice, east Bohemia, in the presence of Deputy Defence Minister Jakub Landovsky on Wednesday.
The transport of the cartridges and grenades will be secured by the United States and Britain by November 24.
“A part of the aid is destined for the Iraqi military and a part for the Kurdish armed forces,” Lukovsky said.
The first part of the gift was delivered to Iraq with the help of the Canadian air force in September and December 2014.
It consisted of eight million machine gun cartridges and 5000 pieces of ammunition for RPG7 bazookas.
The aid went directly to the Kurdish regional government in Irbil with the consent of the central Iraqi government.
The total value of the aid is almost 41 million crowns.
“Aid to the Iraqi armed and security forces is one the Czech Republic´s fundamental contributions to the struggle against Islamic State,” the ministry said.
The Czech military sends to Iraq material which it does not expect to need any more in view of rearmanent and modernisation, Lukovsky said.
Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky (ANO) said last week the Czech Republic could send about 6000 submachine guns and cartridges to the Kurds fighting Islamic State.
