Afstan: Third UK infantry battalion to be sent

The reported troop increase has been announced (and looks like it's needed--see below). Note the time frame of the UK commitment.

Britain announced on Thursday [Feb. 1] it would send an additional 800 troops to southern Afghanistan, a seemingly small increase which could nevertheless dramatically increase NATO's fighting ability on the ground.

The announcement that Britain would deploy a third infantry battalion was a sign NATO is beefing itself up ahead of what commanders expect will be a renewed surge in fighting against Taliban insurgents in warmer months later this year...

Defence Secretary Des Browne also said Britain would keep Viking armoured vehicles, Apache attack helicopters and fixed-wing Harrier jets in Afghanistan through at least April 2009, a sign London expects close and heavy combat for years.

The overall British presence in Afghanistan will rise by only 300 troops because a British-led NATO headquarters in the capital is handing over to American command next week and British troop numbers will be trimmed there.

But the British forces, now in Helmand province and soon to take command of Canadian and Dutch troops [emphasis added] in nearby southern provinces such as Kandahar, are at the sharp end of the NATO force in areas where a Taliban insurgency flared up last year.

Just a fraction of the NATO force, mostly Americans, British, Canadians and Dutch, are actual fighting infantry deployed to combat the Taliban in the south...

Just as this happened:

Taliban militants have overrun an Afghan town which British troops earlier turned over to tribal leaders as part of a peace deal.

Militants disarmed police, burnt the government compound and threatened elders in Musa Qala, in the south of the country.

The town was the scene of fierce fighting between British troops and Taliban militants last year, and was deemed to be one of the most dangerous parts of the country.

A resident of the town said 200 to 300 Taliban fighters had overtaken the town, seized weapons from the police and destroyed the government centre...

British forces are based in Helmand province but pulled out of Musa Qala in October after a peace agreement was signed between local elders and the Helmand governor, with the support of the British troops.

According to the deal, security responsibilities were turned over to local leaders, while NATO forces were prevented from entering the town.

The deal has been criticized by some Western officials as putting the area outside of government and NATO control.

Late last month, NATO said an airstrike outside of Musa Qala destroyed a Taliban command post, killing a senior militant leader, who was not named, and a number of his deputies.

At the time a NATO spokesman said the January 25 airstrike "was outside the area of the agreement" and did not violate it.

However, Governor Wafa said the Taliban told a gathering of elders last week that they considered the airstrike a violation of the agreement...

Update: "NATO troops to recapture Afghan town".