Bulgaria could send additional reinforcements to its Afghanistan contingent, Defence Minister Nikolai Mladenov said, quoted by Dnevnik daily on November 26 2009.

Currently, Bulgaria has a 610-strong detachment in Afghanistan. Its main task is securing the airport of the southern Afghan town of Kandahar and military installations in the capital Kabul. The southern city of Kandahar is a Taliban stronghold and terrorist attacks in the region are commonplace. This is where the Bulgarian forces have deployed a mechanised infantry battalion.

Mladenov said that Bulgaria had "previously assumed the responsibility of sending a field hospital in Afghanistan staffed by about 30 doctors and assisting personnel".

During a morning talk show for the Nova Television Channel, Mladenov said that the defence budget for 2010 amounts to 1.3 billion leva, of which 100 million leva will be reserved for international deployments.

"Afghanistan is Bulgaria’s largest military mission, costing taxpayers about 90 million leva each year" Mladenov was quoted as saying by Mediamonitors.net on October 29 2009. This sum is likely to cost even more if Bulgaria increases its troop contingent in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, on November 25 2009, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported that the government approved a bill amending the Defence and Armed Forces Act.

According to the latest addendum, the term "Armed Forces" was reclassified to include the Bulgarian Army, Military Police, Military Information Office, the Military Academies, the Academy of Military Medicine, the National Guard and the Armed Forces Reserves.

On November 25 2009, the Defence Ministry's website said that there were no Bulgarian casualties in the latest attacks at Kandahar airport. Two explosions occurred outside the perimeter of the airport on November 24 at 7.05pm and 9.55 Bulgarian time. The first attack was attributed to rocket fire, whereas the second was an IED (improvised explosive device) the government statement said.