The Canadian general in charge of international forces in Kabul handed over his command to the French on Monday as Canada scales back its troop commitment to the country.

Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, formally relinquished command of the 34-country, 6,300-member ISAF force to French Lieutenant-General Jean-Louis Py.

Hillier took command of the forces in February.

Rick Hillier hands over command

The handover comes as Operation Athena, Canada's contribution to the ISAF, is winding down.

• FROM AUGUST 6, 2004: 2,000 troops head home from Kabul

The year-long mission sent 2,000 Canadian soldiers to patrol the streets of Kabul's most dangerous neighbourhood in jeeps, in armoured vehicles and on foot.

During the mission, three Canadian soldiers died, one in a suicide-bomber ambush and two more when their jeep detonated a powerful landmine.

One of the tasks of the new rotation, consisting of 700 troops, will be to help provide security for Afghans during the presidential election set for October.

"The threat is [from] individuals trying to impact the election process, terrorism, small groups of forces like that," said Col. Jim Ellis, commander of the new rotation.