Key concerned for NZ troops

Prime Minister John Key says he is concerned by reports of growing conflict in Afghanistan, where New Zealand patrols have been involved in a firefight and a bomb attack in the past week.

"There's no getting away from the fact that Afghanistan is a dangerous place," he said at his post-Cabinet press conference yesterday.

"I've had some advice from the Defence Force that they're seeing an increased level of activity."

New Zealand has about 140 military personnel in a provincial reconstruction team based in Bamiyan, first sent in 2003 and due to stay there until at least September next year.

Last week a 15-minute firefight took place about 50km northeast of the base when insurgents attacked an Afghanistan National Police compound.

On Sunday night in the same area another New Zealand patrol escaped unscathed after a bomb was triggered in front of a vehicle travelling in a convoy.

"New Zealand has been in Bamiyan for a long time. I think it's great we haven't had any casualties there and obviously that's a record we would like to maintain," Mr Key said.

New Zealand's elite SAS troops have been on missions in Afghanistan three times, the last in 2006, and in April Foreign Minister Murray McCully confirmed the United States had asked for them to be sent again.

Mr Key has previously said he would be unlikely to announce a deployment until the troops were there. Asked yesterday if any SAS troops were in Afghanistan, he replied: "No, they're not there."

- NZPA