CANBERRA, April 10 (Reuters) - Australia is sending special forces commandos back to Afghanistan to help counter a resurgent Taliban rebellion, as part of a doubling in the number of its troops there, Prime Minister John Howard said on Tuesday.

Australia will send about 300 special forces commandos, as well as extra security and air force surveillance staff, Howard said, taking Australia's deployment to about 950 by mid-year and growing to more than 1,000 by mid 2008.

Australia's special forces withdrew from Afghanistan last September.

"Their role will to be to enhance provincial security by disrupting Taliban command and control supply routes," Howard told a media conference.

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