SARAJEVO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- A 53-member contingent of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces (OSBiH) left here on Friday for a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, said a statement released by OSBiH.

A total of 49 male and four female soldiers belonging to the 5th Infantry Unit of OSBiH departed from the Dubrave Barracks near the city of Tuzla located 120 kilometers northeast of the capital Sarajevo.

In the framework of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, the infantry unit will spend the next six months in Afghanistan, and depending on the situation, it may stay a month longer.

Over the past six months, the soldiers have undergone special training where they have achieved the required standards and are fully prepared to carry out the tasks that will be asked from them.

"They will work on the control at the airport in Afghanistan. 0ur members will protect the airport from external attacks and have the ability to perform their tasks in the best way," OSBiH's Chief of Joint Staff Senad Masovic stated during the send-off ceremony.

Masovic added that the members of OSBiH will continue to participate in United Nations, NATO and European Union peace missions, and the aim is to increase the country's contribution in 2019.

Brigadier General Kenan Dautovic said that this is an extremely important mission for BiH soldiers, adding that OSBiH's Operational Command prepares its members to respond to all the challenges in any of the missions to which they are sent.

BiH's Armed Forces have been present in Afghanistan since 2009, with more than 1,300 members involved in the peacekeeping mission so far.