German Army Abandons Base

BERLIN — German forces in northern Afghanistan have withdrawn early from a base in Taluqan because of anti-U.S. unrest over the burning of Qur'ans at a U.S. military base, an army spokesman said Friday.
Around 50 German soldiers pulled out of the base in the Afghan city on Thursday after about 300 people had demonstrated peacefully outside it, the spokesman said.
German forces had been due to leave the small base in Taluqan city, the capital of Takhar province, by the end of March, he said.
Any return to the base would depend on the situation, he added.
All the army's vehicles, weapons and munition have been carried away by the troops who transferred to Kunduz, about 70 kilometres away.
Three days of bloody demonstrations have killed 14 people, including two U.S. soldiers, forcing U.S. President Barack Obama to apologize over the Qur'an burning at the Bagram airbase, north of Kabul.
Germany has the third largest NATO-led force in Afghanistan behind the United States and Britain.
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