New Dutch mission in Iraq gets underway

About 145 soldiers from the Dutch Air Brigade have started a new mission in Iraq. Their task is to protect the advisors of the NATO mission in and around the capital, Baghdad. Tensions in the country have risen since the war in Gaza began.

The Dutch company has been complete since Monday. The NATO mission is intended to strengthen the security sector in Iraq. On May 1, Dutch Brigadier General Cas Schreurs will become commander of the mission. Defense will also send three Chinook transport helicopters with a 120-person detachment.

Outgoing Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren visited the new mission on Monday. “The unrest in Iraq and elsewhere in the region underlines the importance of our presence,” the Minister said on X. She also consulted with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, among others.

The threat level is high in the country. American military bases there have regularly come under fire since the war in Gaza began. Pro-Iranian militias are responsible for dozens of attacks. Iran also fired missiles into Iraq last week. A Dutch baby was killed in Erbil.

Defense believes that the militia attacks will continue as long as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. Additional security measures have been taken at the bases. “These measures provide sufficient protection for staff and equipment for the time being,” the Cabinet wrote to parliament last month. If the matter escalates, the NATO mission will be scaled down.

Dutch soldiers have been active in Iraq for years. In recent years, they’ve been involved in, among other things, protecting Erbil’s international airport and training Kurdish fighters.