Bratislava- The centre-left government of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico approved a plan Wednesday to boost his country's troop numbers in Afghanistan, the premier told reporters.

The government would like to allow up to 246 troops to serve in a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission by the end of 2008, up from the current limit of 115 soldiers, Fico said.

The new mandate for extra military engineers and guards requires parliamentary authorization.

"We are not sending combat units that would be directly participating in combat operations," Fico said at a press conference.

Currently 70 Slovak soldiers serve in Afghanistan, most of them with an engineering corps at an air base in southern province of Kandahar, said military spokesman Milan Vanga. (dpa)