Warsaw to send 400 more soldiers to Afghanistan
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Apr 28, IRNA -- Poland is to dispatch 400 more soldiers to Afghanistan by the end of this month amid the worsening security situation in the war-ravaged country, German news reports said here Tuesday.
Warsaw will increase its overall troop size in Afghanistan to 2,000 by the end of April, said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk following his meeting with his British counterpart Gordon Brown in the Polish capital.
The situation ahead of the Afghan presidential elections, scheduled for August, requires "utmost efforts," added Tusk.
There are currently 1.600 Polish troops deployed in Afghanistan fighting a rejuvenated Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgency.
Polish soldiers have faced increased attacks in recent times, Polish military officials have been quoted saying.
The US has reportedly pressed Poland to send additional soldiers to Afghanistan.
Polish troops have been based mostly in the Afghan province of Ghasni since last fall as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) which has currently deployed around 55,000 troops.
ISAF is by far NATO's largest mission, and is seen as crucial to the security and long-term credibility of the controversial western military alliance.
The ISAF mission was mandated by the United Nations in December 2001, in the wake of the overthrow of the Taliban.
The largest troop contingents come from the US with 23,220 followed by Britain with 8,910 and Germany with 3,500.
American President Barack Obama announced he would boost the number of US soldiers in Afghanistan by around 17,000.
However, he has also called on European allies to make a similar commitment.
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