The FINANCIAL -- TALLINN, Estonia has sent fresh troops to Afghanistan as part of a regular rotation of its peacekeeping contingent in the south of the war-torn Central Asian country, the Estonian Defense Ministry has said.

Estonian soldiers have been in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since 2003. About 300 Estonian troops are currently providing support to units of the British 19th Infantry Brigade in the Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.

The ESTCOY-9 motorized infantry unit and the NSE-8 national support element will replace the Estcoy-8 and NSE-7 units, which have been deployed in Afghanistan for six months.

Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots, the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, said in October that all members of ESTCOY-9 and NSE-8 units were equipped with modern weaponry, including personal night vision devices and compact ground penetrating radars to detect mines.

The country's military has seen six deaths and about 30 servicemen wounded during its participation in NATO operations in Afghanistan.

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