London ? Britain said Friday it will increase its troop strength in southern Afghanistan to bolster NATO forces battling Taliban militants, days after Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was pulling some British troops out of Iraq.

British media said 1,000 more soldiers would be sent to Afghanistan to join the more than 5,000 British troops already there.

Defense Minister Des Browne confirmed the deployment in a statement late Friday, but would not provide specific numbers. Browne said the government made the decision to boost its forces after last week’s meeting of NATO defense ministers in Spain in which the alliance urged countries to send more troops.