Libyan Troops to Train in Joint U.S.-Bulgarian Bases

Up to 8,000 Libyan soldiers are expected to train at two joint US-Bulgarian military bases in Bulgaria as part of post-war efforts to rebuild Libya, Defense Minister Angel Naydenov said Thursday.

Naydenov said he had approved Washington's proposal to train the troops but Bulgaria and the United States still had to work out the details.

"This is a bilateral proposal but it is also being discussed within NATO and could be expected to become part of NATO's mission for post-war reconstruction of Libya," said the minister.

The proposal envisages the training of between 150 and 200 soldiers at a time on a rotational basis over a period of between five and eight years, the minister added.

Violence still proliferates in Libya, with the country's new rulers struggling to re-establish order and form a professional police force and army since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.