Germany says not considering boosting Afghan troops

MUNICH (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is not considering boosting the number of German troops in Afghanistan or moving them to other parts of the country, a government spokesman said on Saturday.

"There are no such considerations in the Chancellery," spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said by telephone.

Earlier, Der Spiegel weekly reported that the German government was planning to expand the number of soldiers it can send to Afghanistan by 1,000 to 4,500 and broaden their base of operation from the north to the west.

The magazine said Merkel planned to make the proposal at a NATO summit in April.