LONDON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday unveiled a new counter-terrorism strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying coordinated action is needed to tackle terrorist threats.

    Brown, who visited Afghanistan and Pakistan earlier this week, said in a statement to the House of Commons that the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan are "the breeding ground, the crucible of terrorism" and provide a direct threat to British security.

    He said British approaches to the two countries are "different but must be complementary."

    Pakistan must be part of a solution to Afghanistan's problems as there is a "chain of terror" linking the border areas between the two countries to Britain, he said.

    He promised extra funding of 665 million pounds (944 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years to Pakistan for counter-terrorism operations as well as educational and economic assistance.

    He also said 700 more British troops would be sent to Afghanistan to boost security for the presidential election in August, which will increase the British force there to 9,000.

    His statement came hours after a British soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan.