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NATO sending more troops to Afghanistan

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance is sending more than 2,000 extra troops to Afghanistan to provide additional security during the run-up to parliamentary elections in September, a senior NATO official said.

"An additional 2,000 troops are being sent to build up support for the elections," said Lieutenant Colonel Karen Tissot van Patot, a spokeswoman for the NATO mission in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Van Patot said Tuesday that the troops would be provided by the Netherlands, Romania, Italy, Austria and the United States. They will be based in Kabul, as well as in the north and west of the country. Once the new troops are deployed, NATO will have 11,400 soldiers in Afghanistan, with Germany, Turkey, Canada, Spain and Italy providing the biggest contributions.