Wellington, Shawwal 16, 1433, Sep 3, 2012, SPA - The last New Zealand troops will leave Afghanistan in April, 12 years after the first deployment, the government confirmed Monday. The announcement came after the cabinet approved the withdrawal of a 140-member contingent from Bamiyan province, where it has been based since 2003. A 35-troop special forces unit first deployed to Kabul in 2001 was pulled out in March. New Zealand originally committed to staying until 2014. Prime Minister John Key insisted that the accelerated withdrawal had nothing to do with the killing of five New Zealand soldiers last month. "This is a sensible, orderly and professional transition and the Bamiyan authorities and ISAF are comfortable with our proposed withdrawal date," Key was quoted as saying by dpa. --SPA 11:48 LOCAL TIME 08:48 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1026610