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Germany is considering sending troops to train Libyan soldiers in the next months in a bid to combat the Islamic State group in the country, according to a report leaked by Der Spiegel on Saturday.
"According to internal (government) plans German soldiers could, along with Italian colleagues, within months begin training the Libyan armed forces," said the online journal.
Between 100 and 200 army soldiers would be in charge, along with Italian counterparts, to provide military training for Libyan soldiers. They would be deployed in neighboring Tunisia, a better option because of the security challenges that Libya currently faces, added the report.
Since the NATO-led military intervention in 2011 that resulted in the downfall of Moammar Gadhafi, the oil-rich country has been through a dramatic political instability, while civilian populations are repeatedly victims of jihadist attacks, especially from ISIS.
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German Ministry of Defense did not disacknowledge the report, yet saying it was not the time for speculation about a military deployment, but rather for diplomatic negotiations, reported DW.
Germany is already providing military training for Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq, while more troops should be deployed in Mali and Iraq in order to fight the extremists, announced German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday, if approved by Congress.
After Paris attacks in November, Germany made a radical shift in its foreign policy, considering for the first time since the Second World War abandonning its pacifist tradition and running military missions abroad in order to fight ISIS militants.
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