Japan Extends SDF Deployment in Middle East

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government Tuesday decided a one-year extension of the deployment of Self-Defense Forces personnel in the Middle East to tackle issues including maritime piracy.

The government extended the SDF's antipiracy mission off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden and intelligence-gathering mission to secure the safety of ships in the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman to Nov. 19 next year.

It also extended the SDF dispatch to Egypt to join the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Peninsula until the end of November next year.

"We'll continue our activities that contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East, which provide a foundation for our country's peace and prosperity," Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told a press conference.

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