SOFIA, Sept. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov has expressed his opposition to redeployment of his country's troops from Iraq's Karbala to Najaf, local media reported Saturday.

    Purvanov said Friday that he had serious reservations about the transferring of Bulgarian troops to Najaf.

    "Our troops have carried out their mission effectively and forged friendly relationship with residents in Karbala," said Purvanov. "But Najaf is a totally new place to our troops and residents there could even be hostile to our soldiers."

    The Bulgarian president was responding to reports that the US military in Iraq is planning to transfer the Polish and Bulgarian troops to Najaf to replace the US troops.

    In May 2003, Bulgarian parliament approved sending about 500 troops to Karbala, south of Baghdad. The mission of the Bulgarian troops was to restore order and protect reconstruction projects inthe region.

    However, the barracks of the Bulgarian troops were attacked by a suicide car bombing in December 2003, which left five dead and 26 injured. Another solider was killed while on patrol earlier this year. Enditem