US Marine reinforcements join Afghan al Qaeda hunt

KABUL, March 31 (Reuters) - The first of 2,000 U.S. Marine reinforcements have arrived in Afghanistan to help the 13,500 U.S.-led troops already there intensify the hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives and boost security ahead of elections.

"Some Marine forces have began coming from the States," U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan Hilferty said on Wednesday.

"It is typical for Marines to be stationed in a place for six months, but I would not say how long they will be here and where they are based," he said.

Hilferty declined to give any more details about the deployment but U.S. officials in Washington said last week most of a major unit of up to 2,200 Marines stationed on warships in the Gulf would be moved to Afghanistan.

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