KABUL, Dec 17: French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie announced on Sunday that France would withdraw hundreds of its special forces from Afghanistan within the next few weeks.

“We'll pull our special forces out of Afghanistan in the coming weeks,” Alliot-Marie told reporters during her visit to Kabul.

She was referring to some 200 French special forces stationed in eastern Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, aimed at hunting down Taliban fighters.

France has deployed a total of 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the remainder serving in the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Seven members of the French special forces have been killed in action in the war-ravaged country, while 12 others have been wounded since their deployment. The French forces contingent is currently based in Nangarhar.

The proposed French withdrawal comes when ISAF commanders facing unexpectedly strong Taliban resistance have been demanding more troops for the south of Afghanistan where the militants are most active.

The minister also announced that French instructors will be involved in the training of the Afghan army's special forces, “because we believe it is important that the Afghan army is able to enter battles with their own forces.” She reiterated that France had decided to keep its air force, “which has been involved in Nato operations on several occasions”, in the country on a long-term basis, as well as deploying two new helicopters.

French troops will start training Afghan special forces in 2007, a spokesman for the French minister said. Some 10 per cent of France's special forces have been permanently based in Afghanistan, he said. “The special forces have only been used sporadically, but without doubt when called upon by Nato they have made several contributions in Afghanistan,” he added.—AFP