Defence minister in talks with commander of Hungarian troops in Iraq – UPDATE

Defence Minister Tibor Benkő on Thursday held talks with lieutenant colonel Sándor Farkas, the commander of the Hungarian troops in Iraq.

At the video talks open to the press, Farkas said that three days ago, the contingent was alerted that missile or drone attacks are to be expected within the next 72 hours. Early on Wednesday morning, two missiles hit Erbil in northern Iraq where most Hungarian troops are stationed. One of the missiles failed to detonate, he said. The troops donned protective gear and moved to bunkers, he said.

The troops are now ready to fulfil their duties again and are ready to react to unexpected events, he said.

In a Q+A session with the press after the talks, Benkő said the Iraqi parliament has decided to request the government to order foreign troops to leave the country. The Iraqi government, however, is yet to decide on the issue, he said. Most foreign units continue their operations, he said.