Australian PM "actively considering" NATO request for additional troops in Afghanistan

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday that he is "open" to a request from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to send additional troops to Afghanistan to support existing Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel.

Following discussions with the head of the NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan last month, Turnbull told the press that he was "actively considering" a request for Australia to commit more troops to the war-torn region.

"We have been asked to consider additional resources, and we are actively considering that. We're open to that," Turnbull told the press on Friday.

There are currently around 270 ADF personnel on the ground in Afghanistan, assisting local forces in advisory and training roles, but after the Taliban regained ground in the region over the last 12 months, the prime minister said it was important to continue to "secure" the area.

"We have personnel embedded in various parts of the NATO operation there, but the bulk of our forces are focused on training and mentoring the Afghan National Defence Force," Turnbull said on Friday.

"We are certainly open to increasing our work there, but we've obviously got to look at the commitments of the ADF in other parts of the region and indeed in other parts of the world.

"But it is very important that we continue, we and our other allies in the effort in Afghanistan, continue to work together, to build up the capacity of Afghanistan's own security forces so that they can keep that country secure from the threat of terrorism, both Islamic State (IS) and of course the Taliban." Endit