NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says the alliance expects to deploy several thousand more troops in Afghanistan as part of its plans to expand operations into the volatile southern regions of the country.
Mr. de Hoop Scheffer spoke to reporters in Kabul Thursday, after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
He said the alliance has yet to resolve differences over its plans to run both peacekeeping and counter-insurgency operations alongside U.S.-led coalition forces in the region.
A 20,000-strong coalition force is operating mostly in southern and eastern Afghanistan, fighting Taleban insurgency and hunting al-Qaida terrorists.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force is currently enforcing security in the capital, Kabul, and across parts of northern and western provinces.
Some information for this report provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
