French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to withdraw about 1,000 troops by the end of 2012 with a complete pullout of its 4,500 soldiers by the end of 2014 - the deadline set for handing over responsibility for security to Afghan forces.

“We are carrying out a proportional withdrawal,” Longuet said on France Inter radio. “The zones that we are in charge of will be handed over to the Afghan army.”

Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since US-backed Afghan forces overthrew the Taleban.

More than 2,500 foreign troops have died in Afghanistan since the war began almost 10 years ago. Seventy-five French soldiers have been killed since France joined US and NATO-led Afghanistan operations in 2001.