Four more countries pledge troops for Afghanistan

Four more countries have joined the NATO-led peace-keeping operation in Afghanistan, bringing the number of countries involved in such operations to 47.

Four more countries have joined the NATO-led peace-keeping operation in Afghanistan, bringing the number of countries involved in such operations to 47.

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Armenia, Mongolia, Montenegro and South Korea - all non-NATO countries - agreed to provide troops to join the current International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Together they pledged nearly 800 troops to bolster the estimated 85,000 ISAF forces on the ground, the bulk of the new troops coming from South Korea.

South Korean Vice Defence Minister Chang Soo-Man said: "Without the defeat of Taliban forces in Afghanistan, we cannot expect to enhance the quality of life of the local residents and we cannot be free of the fear of terrorism."

This follows a recent decision by Bosnia & Herzegovina, a predominantly Muslim country, to contribute staff to the ISAF headquarters.