LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on Monday that Britain will deploy extra 500 troops to Afghanistan in a statement to the House of Commons.

    Last month, Brown agreed "in principle" to increase British troops in Afghanistan to 9,500 so long as troops are fully equipped for their tasks; the Afghan government is in place, ready to provide more troops for training and all coalition partners bear their fair share of burden.

    Brown told the Commons that the soldiers will be sent to Afghanistan in early December and he is confident that NATO and other allies will come up with 5,000 more troops.

    The prime minister also use the statement to renew calls on Pakistan to step up efforts to track down Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders he believes are hiding in tribal territories in north Afghanistan.

    Britain is to host a conference on Afghanistan on Jan. 28 next year, where members of the international coalition will discuss plans for handing control of the country back to local authorities.

    Brown said the milestones would put in place the conditions for control of Afghanistan to be handed over to Afghan authorities, district by district, and for British troops to withdraw.

    He said that a timetable for a British troop withdrawal would only happen when the Afghan army and police show themselves capable of maintaining security in growing areas of the country.