Germany ready to lift Afghan troop threshold-report

BERLIN, June 13 (Reuters) - Germany is preparing to raise its potential troop contingent in Afghanistan by up to 300 to assist airborne surveillance operations in the country, a German magazine reported on Saturday.

Germany has about 3,800 troops in Afghanistan and there is a parlimentary mandate to send a total of 4,500 as part of the NATO mission.

Weekly Der Spiegel said the Bundestag lower house of parliament would in early July give approval for up to 300 additional troops to be sent to Afghanistan for deployment with NATO's Airborne Warning and Control System (AWAC) aircraft.

The government had previously said it expected about 100 troops to be sent to assist the surveillance mission, which NATO defence ministers approved on Friday.

The Defence Ministry declined to comment on the report.

Germany and other European countries have been under pressure from the United States to send more troops to Afghanistan, though many have been reluctant, citing public opposition to greater involvement in the country. (Reporting by Dave Graham and Sabine Siebold; Editing by Matthew Jones)