WELLINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - New Zealand will extend the deployment of its elite special forces in Afghanistan for at least another year but will halve the numbers involved, Prime Minister John Key said on Tuesday.
The current deployment is due to end in March, but the stay will be extended for a further 12 months from April.
"The deployment will be a much smaller contingent of approximately 35 personnel, this compares to approximately 70 deployed now," Key said.
The Special Air Squadron will continue to focus on training Afghan forces and complete its work with a special crisis unit.
New Zealand also has a 140-strong reconstruction team in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province, and Key said decisions on New Zealand's broader deployment to Afghanistan would be made in coming months.
(Reporting by Giles Beckford; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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