By IRNA,
London : Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, has paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Saturday.
He visited troops in Helmand province in the south of the country.
His visit came hours after four British soldiers were killed in two separate blasts in Afghanistan, according to Sky News.
Brown went to Camp Bastion and met soldiers involved in the frontline of the battle with the Taliban, who have this year switched their attack from close combat to more guerrilla-style tactics such as roadside bombs.
After visiting the troops, he travelled to the capital, Kabul, for talks with President Hamid Karzai.
As news of the visit was announced, it was revealed that hundreds of extra British troops have been sent to the country.
Reinforcements, numbering “in the low hundreds”, from a Cyprus-based stand-by contingent have been called into action by commanders, a British government source said.
The boost in numbers from 8,100, completed over the last few weeks, is believed to be part of a shift of strategy towards providing a wider geographical security cover ahead of Afghan presidential elections due next autumn.
Four Royal Marines were killed on Friday in two separate incidents, bringing the total number of British military personnel who have lost their lives in Afghanistan since the start of the operations in 2001 to 132.
The revelation of the increase in troop numbers comes as Brown leads a review of the UK’s strategy in the country, which could result in more being sent next year.
There have been growing hints that the UK could increase its contribution, not least from the head of the Armed Forces, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup.
He warned, however, that the military could not cope with simply switching the 4,000 forces due to be pulled out of Iraq in the first half of next year to Afghanistan.
Brown’s government has been under constant criticisms for failing to provide troops in Afghan combat zones with proper military equipment.