Kabul  - Polish President Lech Kaczynski Wednesday announced plans to send hundreds of extra troops to war-torn Afghanistan in the coming months, following a meeting with his Afghan counterpart President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

Kaczynski arrived in Afghanistan on a one-day trip to talk with Afghan government officials and visit his Polish troops stationed in volatile southern province of Ghazni. About 1,600 Polish soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan.

"We are increasing our troops by 20 per cent, especially the combat troops," Kaczynski told journalists.

He said that upon his return to Warsaw, he would sign a go-ahead plan for deployment of hundreds of additional soldiers to Afghanistan to help provide security for the upcoming election slated for August 20.

The new forces would also be a response to the "deteriorating situation" in Ghazni province, he said. "Groups of radicals spill from other provinces and there is a likelihood that they will be converging in that province, so we have to find adequate response."

Ghazni province borders Pakistan, from where Taliban militants are said to cross into Afghanistan and carry out attacks in the province. The province has also borders with the restive provinces of Zabul, Paktia and Paktika, where insurgency is rife.

Karzai thanked Poland for supporting his government and its long-standing friendship with Afghanistan.

"The Polish soldiers are struggling against the enemies of the Afghan people in a steadfast way and are protecting the civilians in Ghazni and Paktia provinces," the president said.

Kaczynski's trip came four days after a NATO summit in France, where the alliance recommitted to helping Afghanistan in the fight against resurgent Taliban militants who have regained strength in the past three years following their ouster in late 2001.

The alliance also pledged to send around 5,000 additional troops and military trainers before the presidential polls. The new NATO troops would come on the top of
21,000 additional US troops and experts expected in Afghanistan later this year.

Nine Polish soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since their deployment in 2002. Formerly communist Poland joined NATO in 1999.(dpa)