Germany to send more troops to Afghanistan

Germany plans to increase its military contingent in northern Afghanistan by up to 1,000 soldiers, Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said Tuesday.The announcement follows months of pressure from Germany's NATO allies to step up its troop presence in Afghanistan and deploy soldiers in the south to help US, British and Canadian forces fight a tenacious Taliban insurgency.But Jung confirmed the reinforcements would instead shore up reconstruction efforts in the more stable north, where the majority of Germany's 3,500 soldiers in Afghanistan are deployed.His announcement comes as Germany prepares to take command of NATO's quick reaction force in the north in July, but the ministry has also come under pressure from German commanders urgently demanding more men after a string of attacks on soldiers and their Afghan helpers.