BREAKING: U.S. AND NATO TO INCREASE TROOPS TO 150,000 IN AFGHANISTAN

U.S and NATO to increase troops to 150,000 in Afghanistan

Three soldiers, one civilian killed in Afghanistan

(AFP)22 May 2010,
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/May/international_May1262.xml&section=international

KABUL - Three foreign soldiers and one civilian working with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed in two separate incidents in southern Afghanistan Saturday, the alliance said.


Meanwhile, The United States and its NATO allies are increasing to 150,000 their military deployment in Afghanistan, about two-thirds of which is American.


The United States believes the “surge” of troops can wrest the initiative from the Taliban in key population centres and allow foreign forces to start withdrawing from the unpopular and costly conflict next year.

“Two ISAF service members and a civilian working with ISAF died following an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan today,” ISAF said, without disclosing the soldiers’ nationality, in keeping with NATO policy.

“In a separate incident, also in southern Afghanistan, another ISAF service member died following an improvised explosive device (IED) attack,” the statement, said referring to the Taliban insurgents’ weapon of choice.


The latest casualty brings the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year to 215, according to an AFP tally based on the icasualties.org website.

In 2009, the deadliest year since the United States led an invasion that overthrew the Taliban regime in late 2001, 520 foreign soldiers were killed.