UP to 300 Maidstone-based soldiers are about to fly out to Afghanistan to start rebuilding a country ravaged by war. The sappers from 36 Engineer Regiment at Invicta Park will form part of the British-led international force sent out to keep the peace and rebuild the country's infrastructure.

With night temperatures as low as minus 20C, the sappers' 90-day mission will begin with mine clearance and repairing the airport in the Afghan-capital, Kabul. The sappers, led by Col Alastair Sheppard, commander of 36 Engineer Regiment, will rely on aeroplanes to fly in all supplies. Roads and all power supplies are down.

The force, expected to deploy in the next few days, will join an advance party of a dozen or more sappers including some from Maidstone, charged with preparing the ground for the troops. Major Kevin Stratford-Wright, the regiment's second-in-command, said: "We have more to do than we could achieve in 100 years."

The deployment follows the Bonn Agreement, signed earlier this month, which set up an interim Government in Afghanistan and set out the guidelines for the peace-keeping forces.