Britain could send even more troops to fight in Afghanistan

BRITAIN could send more than the expected 400 troops to Afghanistan, a former Army commander has said.

Yesterday it was reported Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, is keen to send 400 more soldiers to the country as part of a Nato training mission, taking the total number to about 1,000.

But General Sir Richard Barrons, who served as one of the six “Chiefs of Staff” leading the Armed Forces until 2016, said the UK “might have to consider” increasing this number further, to combat the Taliban. Speaking to the Today programme on Radio 4, Sir Richard said the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 “hasn’t worked”.

He added that the new troops might also be sent into combat as opposed to focusing on only training the Afghan forces.

Last year, the US said it would send an extra 3,500 troops to Afghanistan, key parts of which have fallen back under Taliban control.

The UK’S final plan has not been signed off but Whitehall sources told The Times that Theresa May is expected to make an announcement about it at a summit in July.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The support the UK provides Afghanistan on security, development and governance is crucial to building a stable state and reducing the terrorist threat to the UK.

“We remain committed to Nato’s non-combat Resolute Support mission, in which we play an important role, and keep our contribution under constant review.”