More British soldiers for Afghanistan

London, July 25

The British government will send reinforcements to Afghanistan to “help maintain the required operational effectiveness” in the wake of rising number of casualties suffered by its troops while fighting the Taliban in that country, officials said Friday.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said 125 additional soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan to strengthen the security ahead of the presidential elections in August.

The move will enable the British commanders to maintain the required operational effectiveness for the remainder of their tour, in particular, through the next month's presidential elections in Afghanistan, Ainsworth said.

He added that the commanders on the ground are best placed to know the resources needed for the operation.

"In this case they have told me that, after the sad and tragic casualty rate that we have suffered in recent weeks, reinforcements are necessary to ensure we can maintain our operational tempo and consolidate the real progress we have made," he said.

Nineteen British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this month, the highest monthly toll since 2001.

Last updated on Jul 25^th, 2009 at 06:43 am IST--Xinhua

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