CANBERRA, Australia, May 8 (UPI) -- Australia is sending another 240 soldiers to Afghanistan for a six-month deployment.
The Australian government also confirmed Monday that a fresh contingent of 470 troops from Townsville and Brisbane would be rotated into Iraq's al-Muthanna province, the Australian Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Tuesday.
The additional Afghanistan commitment will cost taxpayers $275 million and will help fund a reconstruction task force and extend by a year the deployment of two Chinook helicopters, the report said.
The new troops will take Australia's contribution in Afghanistan to 540 personnel. The 120 engineers and 120 infantrymen will leave in July, the report said.
The troops for Iraq will guard Japanese engineers until they withdraw later this year. They will then train local forces, the Daily Telegraph said.
