Tokyo - Japanese government officials were expected to begin research on needs of assistance in counterinsurgency and security in Afghanistan, government sources said Monday.

Officials of the foreign and defence ministries would see if the international alliance needs assistance from Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF).

The team, which departed Tokyo Sunday, would scout out needs in in Kabul and surrounding provinces for the SDF's airlifting of supplies and assistance in road repairs and other forms of infrastructure development, Jiji Press quoted government sources as saying.

The government plans to extend the special law in an extraordinary Diet session late August before it expires next January, to allow the SDF aid multinational allies in Afghanistan. (dpa)