LONDON: The British Army says it is considering a recruitment drive in Jamaica as it struggles to find enough soldiers to meet its international commitments.

The military says it is weighing whether to send an Army "overseas selection team" to Jamaica. The Caribbean country is a former British colony and remains a part of the Commonwealth.

The military has had difficulty recruiting and retaining soldiers as it maintains its deployment in Iraq and engages a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Army said in a statement Sunday that it is proud to recruit soldiers from countries with close historical ties to Britain.

The British military already employs some 600 Jamaican soldiers. They are among about 12,000 foreign and Commonwealth personnel who serve in its armed forces