BANGKOK, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- All Thai troops in Iraq will on next Friday pull out of the country and head to Kuwait, the spokesman for Thai Defense Ministry said here on Friday afternoon.

    Having withdrawn from the Lima Camp in Karbala, the Thai troopsof some 420 soldiers will stay at the Virginia Camp in Kuwait, the spokesman Palanggoon Glaharn told reporters.

    The troops will stay in Kuwait until the United States military transport them back to Thailand on September 20, when their 6-month mission officially ends, said Palanggoon.

    Thailand in March has sent the second batch of 443 soldiers to the southern Iraqi city of Karbala to fulfill its commitment of one-year non-military mission in post-war Iraq.

    Despite of domestic opposition and deteriorating security situation in Iraq, the Thai government insisted all Thai troops would pull out of Iraq in September as planned.

    Palanggoon denied the plan to pulling out of Iraq in next week was an earlier withdrawal, saying that "they have completed their mission there as planned."

    A first group of 20 soldiers have moved out to Kuwait in early August to make preparation for the arrival of all the Thai troops.

    Two Thai soldiers were killed in Iraq when the camp they stayedwere under bomb attacks in last December. Enditem