reuters Posted online: Friday, October 28, 2005 at 1055 hours IST
Baghdad, October 28: Iraq said on Thursday it plans to send several hundred soldiers from its new army to help relief efforts in Pakistan.
"It is an engineering battalion, well-trained and equipped to relieve the Pakistanis," Lt. General Babkir Zibari told a news conference, adding that the unit would depart as soon as Pakistan accepts the offer of help. Iraq's post-Saddam Hussein army now counts well over 100,000 troops in around 100 battalions, but it still lacks equipment. REUTERS
