The German parliament voted Friday to widen the mandate of Bundeswehr troops in Afghanistan and allow the deployment of international peacekeepers outside the capital Kabul for the first time.

Deputies in the Bundestag lower house voted 531 for, 57 against with five abstentions in favour of broadening the mission and extending the mandate of German troops in Afghanistan by one year.

The decision will see between 230 and 450 soldiers deployed to the region around the northern city of Kunduz, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) north of the capital Kabul, where there is little fighting but drug runners abound.

The defence ministry said an advanced contingent of about 30 soldiers was due to leave Friday the western German city of Cologne to head to Kunduz.

The troops will provide security for civilian reconstruction teams, ensure stability in the build-up to next year's elections and oversee disarmament of former combatants.

Defence Minister Peter Struck told the assembly that the international community was at a turning point in Afghan politics and that security in the war-torn country would be bolstered by extending the Bundeswehr's mission.

"Our plan will focus attention on civilian reconstruction," Struck said.

He said the elections could only go ahead in a secure environment.

The decision came despite strong opposition from the conservatives and liberals, who fear German troops will become mired in battles with bandits.

Non-governmental organisations have also expressed fears that sending international troops to the region could upset the delicate security balance compared to the south where combat is continuing.

"A relationship of trust has been established in Kunduz. We have to avoid a grand military entry there that could ruin all that," said Afghan specialist Boris Wilke at Germany's SWP political science institute.

He said the troops would have to adapt to circumstances on the ground.

"They don't have any combat mandate, they are there in support of the central government. Four hundred and fifty soldiers won't be enough to accomplish policing tasks in three or four provinces," Wilke said.

"The drug economy can't be wiped out overnight. What they can do just by being there is help a more stable economic framework emerge, reassuring people with their presence and by improving infrastructure," he said.

Last week, the UN Security Council authorised the international security force in Afghanistan (ISAF) to deploy into the provinces.

The move came after repeated calls from Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN officials and relief agencies for the mandate to be extended into the regions, riven by rampant factional fighting and guerrilla attacks.

As the decision was made in Berlin, a crucial campaign was underway in Kunduz to demobilise 100,000 Afghan soldiers to reduce the power of warlords and make way for a new multi-ethnic national army.

Karzai was due later Friday to launch the UN-backed Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) program at a ceremony attended by United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and top ministers.

So far 982 of a targeted 1,000 soldiers have handed their weapons over to a defence ministry commission, a senior defence official told AFP, taking the first step towards demobilisation and reintegration into civilian life.

Some 1,600 German soldiers are currently serving in Afghanistan with ISAF in and around Kabul and a further 200 in neighbouring Uzbekistan.AFP