By NNN-Xinhua
Wellington, New Zealand : The New Zealand government has extended the deployment of New Zealand forces in Afghanistan.
An additional 18 general service troops will join the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan province this month, bringing the total number of New Zealand defense force personnel in Afghanistan to 140.
The decision was announced Thursday by Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is at the NATO summit in Romania.
She said the decision is due to concerns about growing violence in areas surrounding the Bamyan province.
Clark said increasing troop numbers is the most effective way of protecting the security of existing personnel and will also boost the number of patrols.
Last Sunday, a New Zealand patrol was caught up in an explosion of an improvised device in the province.