Nato takes over Afghan security

Nato assumed responsibility for security across the whole of insurgency-hit Afghanistan yesterday when it took command in the east of the country from a US-led coalition force.

Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) already commanded forces in the north, west and south, as well as in the capital, Kabul. Yesterday it took command of about 12,000 US troops in the east as well.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan this year to its most intense since US-led forces ousted the hardline Taliban five years ago, weeks after the September 11 attacks.

"This is a momentous day that again signifies the absolutely unshakable commitment of Nato to Afghanistan, both militarily and politically," the top Nato civilian official in Afghanistan, Daan Everts, told a news conference.

The Afghan mission is the alliance's biggest ground operation in its history. The transfer of US troops is the biggest deployment of US forces under foreign command since World War II.

The US troop transfer had been expected later in the year, but alliance officials said battles with resurgent guerrillas in the south showed the urgent need to pool British, Dutch and Canadian troops under Nato with the US forces.

With the inclusion of the US troops in the east, the Nato force in Afghanistan will number about 31,000 troops.

President Hamid Karzai attended a change-of-command ceremony at Nato's Kabul headquarters. He thanked his allies for their help in battling terrorism.