Kabul/Prague, July 2 (CTK) - The first Czech military contingent made up of soldiers from the chemical warfare unit from Liberec, north Bohemia, has started to operate in the Afghan Uruzgan Province, contingent spokeswoman Zdenka Kosvancova told CTK Wednesday. 

Their main task will be to protect and defend the Dutch Camp Hadrian military base. On July 1, the Czech soldiers took the task over from their Dutch colleagues whose base has become international.

The first part of the contingent landed in Camp Hadrian on June 12 to prepare all necessary logistical, financial and medical support.

The rest of the contingent arrived in Uruzgan on June 25.

In Afghanistan, the Czech Republic has soldiers in a military field hospital in Kabul and the Czech special military police unit operates in the harsh and dangerous environment of Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.

However, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of military police that operates in Helmand under the British command will soon be moved to the Logar Province where the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is stationed.

The redeployment is caused by the worsening security situation in Helmand.

One of the two Czech soldiers who died in Afghanistan this year was a military policeman stationed in Helmand. The other was a member of the Czech PRT stationed in Logar.

This story is from the Czech News Agency (?TK).