KABUL, Jan 9: Afghanistan’s new government ordered Afghan troops to quit Kabul within three days on Wednesday to make way for a 17-nation security force, while controversy broke out over the release of Taliban prisoners.

Interior minister Yunus Qanooni’s office announced the move as French troops joined British soldiers already patrolling the war-ravaged capital to protect the work of Afghan leader Hamid Karzai’s transitional power-sharing government.

In Washington, the Pentagon said US forces were pursuing a sweep of the sprawling Zhawar Kili complex, a former Al Qaeda base in eastern Afghanistan, where they detained two suspected senior Al Qaeda fighters.

“Qanooni has decided that all... military units affiliated to the defence ministry that took part in the conquest of Kabul should evacuate the city within three days,” said interior ministry official Din Mohammad Jorat.

“After that, the peacekeeping force, along with our police force, will be patrolling the city,” he said.

Britain’s ministry of defence unveiled the final list of 17 countries taking part in the first phase of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, only one of which is non-European.

The UN-mandated force, which is under the command of British Major-General John McColl, has already started deploying in the country and should reach its full strength of 4,500 by the end of the month.

Britain has committed up to 1,800 military personnel, of whom more than 300 are now in place.

All but one of the contributing countries are European. As well as Britain, they are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

The non-European exception is New Zealand, while Turkey is the only country with a Muslim majority contributing to the force.

The ministry of defence was not able to say exactly how many troops or what other form of military assistance each country was providing.

A spokesman stressed other nations may also get involved, saying Argentina, Jordan and Malaysia, among others, had expressed a wish to contribute.

“I think other nations may have a role later, in another phase. It is just that this force was built up in a quick period of time,” he said.

“It is a question of, this is what is needed at the moment, these countries are offering it and can supply it.”

Britain’s leadership of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will last for three months, after which another country will take over.

The force’s powers will be limited to “assist in the maintenance of the security” in Kabul and its surroundings.

Not every country which offered soldiers was taken up. Canada, for example, which had also expressed a readiness to contribute to ISAF, is deploying them instead in support of US forces near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

On Wednesday around 15 French marine infantrymen went on patrol at Kabul’s civilian airport, which ISAF military engineers are racing to repair and clear of mines to provide a secure bridgehead for incoming troops.

Turkey said on Wednesday it would contribute 261 military personnel. —AFP