Polish ISAF reserve ready for Afghanistan mission

An almost 200-strong reserve unit to reinforce Poland's ISAF force in Afghanistan is ready for the mission, local media reported on Thursday.

A symbolic farewell ceremony for the troops took place Wednesday in a military complex in the Warsaw suburb Wesola.

In his address to the men, Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Komorowski reminded that Afghanistan was "a priority for all NATO allies."

"European and U.S. security is linked to the situation in Afghanistan. We must all remember that the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington were planned in this Taliban-ruled country, " Komorowski said.

The reserve unit will depart to Afghanistan at the turn of February and March. Its task will be to aid regular ISAF units in view of reports that the country's rebel forces will raise their activity in spring.

Currently around 2,000 Polish ISAF troops are stationed in Afghanistan, part of the NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).