Iraq and Afghan costs 'to double'
British troops on the outskirts of Basra
British troops withdrew to a base on the outskirts of Basra in September
The costs of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq this year are likely to almost double to £3.297bn, a committee of MPs has warned.

The Commons defence committee said operational costs for this financial year were now forecast to reach £3.297bn - a 94% increase on last year.

This included a 72% rise in spending on Iraq to £1.648bn, despite ongoing falls in troop numbers.

Last year's total spending on the two conflicts was £1.698bn.

The cost of the Afghan conflict would rise 122% to £1.649bn this year, the MPs said.

'Better information'

While the committee recommended that the House of Commons should accept the estimates, it said the Ministry of Defence needed to provide more information on how the additional cash was being spent.

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