In a letter to "an Italian sister" published in Il Corriere della Sera daily, Berlusconi told Giulia Franchi, whose brother is currently deployed in Afghanistan, that "we need to carry on" building "the path to democracy."

"We are in Afghanistan to shape the social fabric and assure the changeover to a modern democracy," as well as "to keep terrorism at bay," he said.

"There is no other national contingent as capable of building relations with the population and drawing love and respect through means other than arms," Berlusconi added.

The premier was responding to an open letter written to him by Franchi in the newspaper on Friday.

Her brother Dario escaped unharmed in an attack which killed Captain Massimo Ranzani of the Julia Brigade near Herat on February 28.

Ranzani's death brings the total number of Italian fatalities in Afghanistan since 2004 to 37.

Italy currently has 3,815 troops in the country as part of the International Security Assisted Force (ISAF).