The army says the decision is not based on the recent incident when hundreds of protestors attacked a NATO-led base. Rather, they say a shortage of arms was noticed earlier. Four protestors died and several Norwegian peacekeepers were wounded in the dispute on Tuesday.
The Finnish peacekeepers will continue to work normally in spite of the incident, according to the Defence Staff of the Finnish Defence Forces.
None of the 18 Finnish peacekeepers were injured in the protests, which occurred in Maymana, in northern Afghanistan. Ten were at the base when the protests erupted. The other eight were patrolling the region and returned later.
The Finns let off 60 to 90 warning shots in an attempt to control the rioters. Finnish peacekeepers do not have other means, such as rubber bullets or tear gas, available to them for controlling crowds. The Defence Forces say they hope such items will be available in the future.
Afghan local government leaders met with peacekeepers on Tuesday and said the situation was under control. A representative of the Afghan Ministry of Interior also plans to consult with the peacekeepers. Meanwhile, British soldiers arrived on the scene in order to help secure the situation.
Many say the outburst was caused by the publishing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, first seen in a Danish newspaper.
YLE24, Finnish News Agency