Norway will send a new special force of 150 soldiers and two to three helicopters to Afghanistan in March.
On Monday 260 Norwegian troops were engaged in combat with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, a continuation of hostilities that began over the weekend.
"It is completely necessary to increase the military presence in the area in order to create security," Strøm-Erichsen said after the meeting with the parliament's foreign committee on Tuesday morning.
Strøm-Erichsen said that if needed the Norwegian force could be sent to
support planned operations in other areas, a tricky point for many Norwegian politicians who want the special force to remain in the quieter north.
The Defense Minister said that Norway would also step up its training of the Afghan army in order to support Afghan security forces, and that this would require another 50 Norwegian personnel.
From March Norway will have about 700 soldiers in Afghanistan, with this total going down to a bit over 500 in the second half of 2008.
