Brussels, 09/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - Eurocorps and its commander, French General Jean-Louis Py assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul on Monday 9 August. The Afghan operation is the first involving Eurocorps outside Europe. About 300 members of the Eurocorps headquarters staff will be deployed to Kabul, where two battalions of the Franco-German brigade are stationed. NATO forces in Afghanistan currently number slightly over 6500 staff, and this is set to rise to at least 8000 for an eight week period around the October presidential elections. There are around 12,000 troops combatting the Taliban as part of the US Enduring Freedom operation. Adding together the foreign forces in Afghanistan and the government's security forces (around 20,000), there are a total of 40,000 men to maintain security in the country over the election period.