Prime Minister Gordon Brown last night admitted Britain already has more than 10,000 troops in Afghanistan – and at least 500 are Special Forces.
He broke convention to praise the work of the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Squadron, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group in the Commons.
The disclosure coincided with the news that a soldier from the Coldstream Guards has died of wounds from an explosion in the Babaji area of Helmand yesterday. His family has been informed.
Mr Brown announced the anticipated deployment of a further 500 regular troops from the Royal Welsh Regiment and the calling of a special conference in London on Afghanistan in January in a bid to “unite the international community behind a programme now, and for the longer term, to help the Afghans secure and govern their own country”.
He said the military surge, expected to be supported by an extra 35,000 US forces, would be “complemented” by “a political surge” and “most of all, an Afghan surge”.
Mr Brown spoke hours before taking part in a video conference to discuss the Afghanistan strategy with US President Barak Obama.
He wanted to be seen to be taking the initiative first.
Tory leader David Cameron challenged Mr Brown for appearing to set a timetable for British soldiers to hand over parts of Helmand to the Afghan Army before the conference had taken place.
He said everyone wanted the troops home as soon as possible, but “we should never do or say anything that gives the impression to the Taliban that we will not see this through”.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown’s change of tone “has been dramatic and welcome”.
But he questioned the timing of announcements before Mr Obama outlines the new US strategy.
SNP treasury spokesman and Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie added his warning: “Given the US have engaged in an exhaustive review of strategy, would it not have made more sense to have a statement on the strategy and the allies’ political commitment to this conflicts before the statement on deployment which we have received?”
In his statement, Mr Brown said: “I believe the British people have a right to know and deserve the assurance that our highly professional, widely respected and extraordinarily brave special forces are playing their full role not only in force protection but in taking the fight directly to the Taliban, working in theatre alongside our regular forces.
“I want the whole country to pay tribute to them.”
He added: “Taking into account these special forces, their supporting troops and the increases announced today, our total military effort in Afghanistan will be in excess of 10,000 troops.”
UK special forces have been operating in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001, but their number and details of their activities have been a closely guarded secret.
One of their main roles is understood to be targeting insurgent groups which plant explosive devices – the most common cause of casualties among UK forces. They have been trying to “persuade” less committed Taliban supporters to change sides.
Mr Brown told MPs all the conditions had been met for sending the reinforcements.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defence revealed a fleet of Merlin helicopters transferred from Iraq has begun offensive operations in Afghanistan a month ahead of schedule and top brass confirmed they now have the equipment and supplies necessary to equip the reinforcements.
Earlier, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said: “There has been a very substantial improvement over the last few months in helicopter numbers, in protective vehicles. The equipment is already out there, there are considerably more helicopters now, the Merlin fleet started to deploy giving a significant uplift in the area of helicopter capability.
“There are almost twice as many Mastiff as there was a few months ago, which is about the strongest vehicle we’ve got in terms of mine protection. There is about a 75% uplift in Ridgback, which is a slightly smaller version of the Mastiff but with the same level of protection.”