Bulgaria troops in Iraq to relocate to Baghdad

SOFIA, May 22 (Reuters) - The Bulgarian government decided on Thursday to relocate 155 Bulgarian troops serving in Iraq to Baghdad to guard a U.S. detention facility.

The decision is pending parliament approval.

In March of 2006 the NATO member country sent 120 soldiers and 35 support troops to guard a camp for Iranian refugees in Ashraf, 70 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, as part of the multinational forces in Iraq.

The cabinet said in a statement the troops, whose mission expires at the end of the year, would be relocated to Camp Cropper near Baghdad's airport in July to guard detainees undergoing a reintegration programme.

The Ashraf camp has been transformed into a centre for Iraqi police training, the statement said. (Reporting by Anna Mudeva; Editing by Jon Boyle)