Georgia's ISAF mission

TBILISI, DFWatch – A Georgian corporal has died in Afghanistan while serving in the ISAF mission.

This is the twelfth Georgian soldier who dies in the war. According to the Georgian Ministry of Defense, Shalva Palodze died of wounds received during a Taliban attack.

Georgia is one of the biggest contributors to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. In 2004, 50 Georgian military servicemen participated in the ISAF operation, providing security for the presidential elections. Since November 2007, Georgian doctors from the town Chagcharan in Georgia’s Gori region are carrying out a peacekeeping mission with the 6 month rotation in the Lithuanian contingent’s province reconstruction group.

From November 2009, the Georgian peacekeeping company began carrying out a mission with the French contingent in Kabul, to provide security at regional command headquarters, Camp Warehouse. Rotation means that a new company takes over every six month.

Since April 2010, a third Georgian unit has been station in the Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan; third infantry brigade’s 31st battalion, consisting of 749 soldiers. The battalion has been performing the full spectrum of operations with the support of US troops. The 31st battalion was replaced by third infantry brigade’s 32nd battalion in November 2010 by the principle of rotation. Since April 2011, the 33rd battalion has been continuing the peacekeeping mission in Helmand province.

Six months later, in November 2011, 749 military personnel of the 33rd battalion were replaced with the 32nd light battalion of the 3rd infantry brigade. Currently the Georgian battalion serves with the US contingent.

According to the Defense Ministry, corporal Paloidze was serving in the 31st light infantry battalion of the third infantry brigade in the Helmand province, as part of the ISAF mission. He was enrolled in the Georgian armed forces in 2008, and received a medal for his participation in the peacekeeping operation.

The Georgian Defense Ministry expresses regret over the death of corporal Shalva Paloidze and states that his family will receive a social package as defined by law.