Dutch to keep troops in Afghanistan until 2010

(Adds comment from Dutch Prime Minister, details)

AMSTERDAM, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Dutch government decided on Friday to keep troops in the volatile south of Afghanistan, where they are serving as part of a NATO force, until 2010.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the cabinet had opted to extend by two years the troops' mandate in Uruzgan province which is in the front-line of the battle between NATO's 40,000-strong peacekeeping force and Taliban insurgents.

The government had come under conflicting pressure from NATO to extend its mission and from the Dutch public worried about increasing casualties.

Twelve Dutch soldiers have died in Afghanistan, including one suicide.

Parliament is expected to give final approval to the extension before its December recess.

The Netherlands has 1,600 soldiers in Afghanistan, a figure which will fall slightly beyond 2008 as other countries send troops.

But Balkenende told Dutch television that pledges from other countries to provide back-up to the Dutch troops in Uruzgan were less than hoped.

Afghanistan has been hit by an increase in violence this year and as many as 5,000 people have been killed since January.

"NATO welcomes this decision by the Dutch cabinet which is a demonstration of the continuing commitment to this mission and to the Afghan people," NATO spokesman James Appathurai said.

Last month NATO's commander in Afghanistan said NATO was taking a risk by not sending enough troops to Afghanistan and restrictions on the deployment of some countries' soldiers hampered operations.

The United States has said it wants more NATO countries to get involved in the heavy fighting against Taliban forces in the south and east of Afghanistan, a task done mainly by U.S., British, Dutch and Canadian troops. (Reporting by Alexandra Hudson; editing by Robert Woodward)