, Japan launched a special unit on Wednesday consisting of 3,200 troops to fight terrorist attacks at home and to take part in peacekeeping operations overseas, the defence ministry said.
The force will include specialists on biochemical weapons and a small unit, to be operational by March next year, that can be deployed to face terrorist attacks against Japanese cities. It will train in activities such as breaking into buildings to save hostages, as well as a group to prepare troops for overseas peacekeeping missions, a ministry spokesman said.
Japan passed legislation late last year giving overseas missions a key role in the military, whose activities have long been constrained by the nation’s pacifist constitution.
Japan stretched the limits of the constitution by sending 600 ground troops to Iraq in 2004 on a non-combat mission, but they withdrew last year without having fired a shot or suffering any casualties.
About 200 air force personnel have remained in Kuwait from where they airlift supplies to the U.S. military in Iraq and parliament is set to decide whether to extend their mission for another two years from July.
