An advance team of the Ground Self-Defense Force entered Iraq from Kuwait on Monday afternoon to prepare for aid activities in the city of Samawah, a Dutch military official said.
It is the first time since World War II that Japanese troops have set foot in a country in which hostilities are ongoing. The team, headed by Col. Masahisa Sato, left the U.S. Army's Camp Virginia in western Kuwait at 9:50 a.m., according to Dutch and U.S. military officials.
Dutch forces, including about 20 marines who were waiting at the border, escorted the convoy of seven military vehicles and a bus carrying roughly 30 GSDF members. Road conditions and the security situation along the way are stable, a Dutch official said.
To guard against possible guerrilla attacks, some of the vehicles with light armor were equipped with machineguns. Troops also put on bulletproof vests before crossing the border shortly after 12:50 p.m.