Tokyo - Japan on Friday extended its refuelling assistance to its international allies carrying out military operations in Afghanistan for another six months.

A cabinet meeting approved the extension of the current special law on the anti-terrorism mission in Afghanistan, which was to expire July 15.

"The Defence Ministry will continue to do its best to eradicate international terrorism now that the refuelling assistance activities by the MSDF [Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force] have been extended," Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said at a news conference.

The MSDF deploys a supply ship and a destroyer in the Indian Ocean to provide fuel and water to foreign naval vessels participating in US-led anti-terrorism mission.

Japan provided about 2.67 million litres of fuel to warships from Britain, France, Germany, Pakistan and the United States in the three months until the end of May. (dpa)