India says it is sending paramilitary troops to Afghanistan to provide security for Indian civilians working on various development projects in the war-torn country.
Reuters news agency quotes a government official as saying the troops will join some 40 armed commandos from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police already in Afghanistan guarding Indian diplomatic missions.
The official said the additional troops will guard Indian engineers and support staff helping to rebuild the country.
On Tuesday, a roadside bomb killed an Indian and a Turk working on a road project in Farah province. Last November, Taleban insurgents in Nimroz province kidnapped and decapitated an Indian road-builder.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.