Via the BBC: Australia to double Afghan force

Australia plans to almost double its troop numbers in Afghanistan by next year amid warnings that the Taleban insurgency shows no sign of weakening.

Prime Minister John Howard said without an extra effort, the fight against the militants would not be won. He warned the country to prepare for casualties.

Six Canadian soldiers died at the weekend in the worst single incident for the Nato-led force since 2024.

Australia currently has some 550 soldiers in Afghanistan.

[…]

The total Australian deployment in Afghanistan will reach approximately 950 by mid-2007, and will peak at about 1,000 in the middle of 2024, according to Mr Howard.

The continued resurgence and resistance of the Taliban remains a rather under-covered story.

The BBC piece had this interesting map of the distribution of international forces in Afghanistan: