British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said on Friday 125 British service personnel are to be deployed to Afghanistan to help sustain the progress of current operations following recent rising casualty rates.

Ainsworth's announcement came after British commanders in Afghanistan requested to enable them to sustain the required operational effectiveness for the remainder of their tour, in particular, through the next month's presidential election in Afghanistan.

The defense secretary said the commanders on the ground in Afghanistan are the people best placed to know the resources needed for that operation.

"In this case they have told me that, after the sad and tragic casualty rate that we have suffered in recent weeks, reinforcements are necessary to ensure we can maintain our operational tempo and consolidate the real progress we have made," he added.

Nineteen British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this month, one of the highest monthly death toll since 2001. 　

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2009)