Australia is to send 240 additional troops to Afghanistan to work alongside Dutch forces on a reconstruction project in the country's troubled south.

The Australian troops will be part of Nato's operations.

Howard said the deployment was a "further reminder of our very strong commitment to the coalition effort in Afghanistan".

The announcement means that more than 500 Australian soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan.

The deployment had been announced in February but its exact size was not made clear until Monday.

Nato is expanding its operations to allow the larger US-led coalition to reduce its troop numbers to 16,500 from 19,000 and focus on hunting the former ruling Taliban members in the country.

PHOTO CAPTION

Italian soldiers in Afghanistan carry the coffin of one of two colleagues killed in a roadside blast on Friday, onto aircraft at Kabul airport for the journey to home May 7, 2006. (AFP)