Australia ? Australia will deploy 110 additional soldiers and two helicopters to help fight rising violence in Afghanistan, the defense minister said today.

The extra forces will support a contingent of 190 Australian personnel already serving in Afghanistan, Defense Minister Robert Hill said in a statement.

Australia took part in the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 but its troop numbers there had dwindled to one soldier before the special task force of 190 elite troops was sent to help curb insurgents ahead of elections in September last year.