Spain says it will send 511 more troops to Afghanistan, boosting deployment above 1,500

more images

more images

Spain to send 511 more troops to Afghanistan

MADRID — Spain’s defense minister has announced plans to send 511 more soldiers to Afghanistan in response to President Barack Obama’s request for more allied help to fight the Taliban.

Carme Chacon says most of the soldiers will train Afghan soldiers so the Kabul government can eventually fend for itself.

The deployment needs approval from Spain’s Parliament. It would raise the Spanish troop presence in Afghanistan to more than 1,500.

Chacon told a parliamentary panel Thursday that details of the deployment would be announced at a conference on Afghanistan next month in London.

In November, Spain sent an additional 200 troops.