 The Australian troops will boost a multinational force |
Australia says it will send another 200 troops to Afghanistan, to work on reconstruction projects in the south. The group will be a "mixed security and reconstruction task force", announced Prime Minister John Howard.
The Australian Defence Force troops will be sent in late July for a two-year mission and form part of a Dutch-led team.
The deployment will almost double the Australian military presence in Afghanistan to nearly 500 soldiers.
In January, Australia announced a new deployment of 110 troops to Afghanistan to fight "terrorism".
Two Chinook transport helicopters were also to join the country's 190 special services soldiers who were already deployed in Afghanistan.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 