Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary-General expressed his confidence that all member countries of the military alliance will extend their peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan despite the high number of victims.

“We have a long term military and political commitment in Afghanistan and it is very important that we can see this mission through successfully. It would be irresponsible to turn our back to the Afghan people and their government,” Scheffer said Wednesday in Taranto, Italy.

Scheffer's statement comes after German troops recorded three more casualties Saturday and a Finnish soldier and four Norwegian servicemen were killed during a patrolling mission in the war-ravaged country. The German soldiers died after a bomb exploded in a central market of the Kunduz city.

Even if the number of fatalities in the German camp is dangerously rising, Berlin decided to maintain troops in Afghanistan, an option saluted by both Scheffer and Afghan officials.

“That was, despite the drama and despite the loss of life, a very commendable position taken by the German government. We are fighting terrorism there and that is a frontline, and we should not allow the frontline to become a fault line. This is an absolute necessity ,” the Dutch politician said.