STOCKHOLM, Nov. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The Danish government plans to meet a NATO request to increase its number of troops in Afghanistan, Ritzau news bureau reported on Tuesday.

    The additional soldiers have been requested to help patrol the southern Hemland Province, an area that has been described as "unsafe and complex", and would more than double the Danish contribution to NATO's Afghanistan contingent, sources closed to the government revealed to Ritzau.

    Defense Minister Soeren Gade confirmed the possibility that troops would be sent, but kept further details under wraps.

    "The government has received a request from NATO, which we are willing to meet. Now we are discussing the matter with the other parties in parliament," Gade said. "Any troops we send would be under British command, but how many we send is still not decided."

    The government, according to Ritzau's source, proposes sending as many as 190 additional soldiers, increasing the total number of Danish forces in Afghanistan to 360.

    Both the government's supporters and the opposition said they supported sending more troops.

    "We would even support sending more troops than the government proposes," said Per Kaalund, defense issues spokesman for the opposition Social Democrats.

    Denmark's 173 soldiers currently stationed in Afghanistan are primarily responsible for coordinating cargo flights, and for air traffic control at Kabul's main airport. Enditem