United Nations: In an effort to check increasing lawlessness and the resurgence of the Taleban in Afghanistan, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to expand the mission of the 5,500-strong NATO-led force to areas beyond Kabul and renewed the mandate of the force by one year.

The resolution, passed late October 13 night, comes less than a month after Afghan President Hamid Karzai in his address to the General Assembly called on the world body to deploy peacekeepers outside Kabul to help stabilize the nation.

Diplomats do not expect immediate effect of the resolution in the absence of countries prepared to send troops. NATO planners have been developing various models which will require 2,000 to 10,000 additional troops.

One of the reasons for the Karzai government asking for deployment outside the capital is that it enjoys little control outside Kabul and their deployment could enable the Central government to increase its area of influence, they said.

PTI