Finland will re-organise its crisis management operations in Iraq starting in 2020, according to the Finnish Army.
On Monday the Army said that the move to revamp operations followed the restructuring of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) – the military offensive against the Islamic State led by the US.
The Army announced in a statement that the multinational base used by Finns in territory controlled by the Iraqi central government will cease training and protection operations at the end of the year.
Finns currently stationed there will be re-deployed to Kurdistan to join Finnish troops operating in Erbil as part of the Kurdistan Training Coordination Centre.
The change will bring an end to the mission of Finnish protective forces in Iraq. The Finnish contingent will join the operation with about 80 peacekeepers whose remit will be training, mentoring and support operations.
Finland has participated in the OIR since August 2015, while its crisis management unit in Iraq (SKJI) began operations in Iraq in 2018.