15 Oct 2009

UK to send more troops to Afghanistan

6:04 am on 15 October 2009

Britain is to send 500 more troops to Afghanistan - but the deployment will be subject to certain conditions.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the troops will be sent as long as they have the necessary equipment, if other NATO allies boost their troop numbers and if more Afghan troops are trained.

The BBC reports the increase will take the total number of British troops in Afghanistan to 9500.

British forces have lost 221 troops in Afghanistan.