The German parliament agreed Friday to commit its air force to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, in a move aimed at relieving allied NATO troops engaged in military action in Libya, dpa reported.
The decision to increase Germany's Afghan troop commitment by up to 300 air force personnel was approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition as well as most opposition Social Democrats.
The radical Left Party and the Greens had been against the deployment.
Germany has said its troop increase in Afghanistan will free up allied NATO troops to participate in military action against the Libyan regime of leader Moamer Gaddafi, after refusing to take part in the Mediterranean campaign.
The extra airmen will serve on NATO airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, which monitor Afghan airspace.
The decision boosts Germany's presence in Afghanistan to 5,300 troops. Germany still intends to begin withdrawing troops from the region at the end of this year.
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