Afghanistan's ambassador to Australia, Mahmoud Saikal, told the Australian newspaper Kabul expected a team from the defence ministry to soon visit the newly liberated country following discussions last month between the ministry and an Afghan delegation.

"We are anticipating in the near future a visit from a small team from the defence ministry and they will report back to (Defence Minister) Senator Robert Hill on the issue," Saikal told the newspaper.

A spokesman for Hill would not confirm the report, saying there would be an announcement when a decision was made.

The security situation in Afghanistan has been steadily deteriorating since allied troops forced the hardline ruling Taliban from power and installed moderate Hamid Karzai in November 2001.

The most recent unrest came at the weekend when a suicide bomber killed four and injured 29 German peacekeepers.

It was the worst attack on International Security Assistance Forcepeacekeepers since they were deployed in December 2001 under a UN mandate to help secure the Afghan capital Kabul.

German Defence Minister Peter Struck said the bomber belonged to the al-Qaeda terrorist group, headed by Osama bin Laden, and had the backing of former Taliban.

Saikal also said there was increasing tension along the border with Pakistan with officials there failing to contain resurgent Taliban fighters.

ISAF, set up in December 2001 with around 5,000 troops, is tasked with helping the Afghan authorities maintain security in and around Kabul.

Chief to the UN envoy to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi, and Karzai have both repatedly asked that the force be expanded beyond the city limits, but so far in vain.

Australia withdrew the last of its crack Special Air Service (SAS) troops from Afghanistan last December and there is now just one liaison officer left in the country.

The newspaper said three proposals were being considered.

The favored option is for Australian Defence Force personnel to train and possibly equip Afghan armed forces and police.

A second option would involve engineers travelling to Afghanistan to help rebuild the country's decimated infrastructure.

The third, and most probable option, would see Australia contribute peacekeepers to ISAF.

WAR.WIRE