Officials: Armenian military officer wounded in Iraq

November 11, 2006
International Herald Tribune
By the Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia: An Armenian military officer with a contingent of troops serving in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq has been wounded, officials said Saturday.

Lt. Gevorg Nalbandian was wounded while on a mission to defuse mines, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Seiran Shakhsuvarian said, but he did not say when or where the incident occurred.

Nalbandian had his foot amputated after the incident, Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian said Saturday on a visit to the military conscription office in the Armenian capital.

The Armenian troops have been deployed to Iraq since January 2005, and early this year Armenia rotated its troops in Iraq for the fourth time, sending 46 servicemen.

The mission has been met with criticism from opposition parties, many Armenians and even the 30,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq, which fears being targeted for attacks.

Armenia's President Robert Kocharian and his government have sought to portray the deployment as a way to boost ties with Europe.

The Armenian contingent serves under Polish command.

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