LONDON – The British government is planning to almost double the number ofits troops in Afghanistan after a request from U.S. President Donald Trumpfor reinforcements to help tackle the fragile security situation there.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced the government will send an extra 440troops, which would bring Britain’s total to about 1,100, to help Afghantroops fighting Taliban and Islamic State insurgents.

The extra troops will be taking part in a NATO-led training mission, calledResolute Support, to train and assist Afghan forces. They will be based inKabul and will not be in a combat role. British troops ended combatoperations in 2014.

The announcement comes the day before a NATO summit in Belgium that couldturn contentious over U.S. President Donald Trump’s insistence that alliespay more for their defence.

Trump, who announced the United States would send thousands more troops toAfghanistan last year, has asked Britain and other NATO countries to sendmore reinforcements to the country.

“In committing additional troops to the Train Advise Assist operation inAfghanistan we have underlined once again that when NATO calls the UK isamong the first to answer,” May said.

“NATO is as vital today as it ever has been and our commitment to itremains steadfast. The Alliance can rely on the UK to lead by example.”

The increase in British troops comes ahead of parliamentary elections inAfghanistan in October, which are seen as a crucial test for democracy in acountry at war for four decades.

The extra British troops will initially come from the Welsh Guards, witharound half arriving in August and the rest in February next year.