Another US-led soldier has been killed in southern part of Afghanistan, bringing the death toll of foreign forces to 329 so far this year, NATO says.
NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement on Monday that the soldier was killed on Sunday during “a combat patrol,” AFP reported without giving any details.
The new casualty came as US General David Petraeus assumed command on Sunday of the 140,000 NATO and US troops in the war-torn country.
An earlier NATO statement also said that nine US-led troops have been either killed or wounded in Afghanistan, without providing further details.
The casualties were reportedly suffered during the foreign troops’ clashes with Taliban militants in the province of Kunar.
A spokesman for Taliban has claimed that 15 foreign troops were killed in Sunday’s exchange of fire.
Petraeus has already warned that the Afghan war will likely get tougher before any significant improvements.
His predecessor General Stanley McChrystal was fired after he strongly criticized US President Barack Obama and other White House officials.
“We are engaged in a tough fight. After years of war we have arrived at a critical moment,” Petraeus told guests at the ceremony as he took control of the nine-year war fighting a growing Taliban insurgency.
“We all recognize the threat that the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the other associated syndicate of extremists pose to this country, this region and to the world,” he added.
The rising foreign casualties have sparked anger among the public in the countries allied with the US in Afghanistan.
NATO’s mounting death toll has slashed public support for the war in Afghanistan in Europe and the US alike.
Nine years into the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, the country remains a hotbed of militancy despite the presence of some thousands of foreign military forces.
The new casualty came as US General David Petraeus assumed command on Sunday of the 140,000 NATO and US troops in the war-torn country.
An earlier NATO statement also said that nine US-led troops have been either killed or wounded in Afghanistan, without providing further details.
The casualties were reportedly suffered during the foreign troops’ clashes with Taliban militants in the province of Kunar.
A spokesman for Taliban has claimed that 15 foreign troops were killed in Sunday’s exchange of fire.
Petraeus has already warned that the Afghan war will likely get tougher before any significant improvements.
His predecessor General Stanley McChrystal was fired after he strongly criticized US President Barack Obama and other White House officials.
“We are engaged in a tough fight. After years of war we have arrived at a critical moment,” Petraeus told guests at the ceremony as he took control of the nine-year war fighting a growing Taliban insurgency.
“We all recognize the threat that the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the other associated syndicate of extremists pose to this country, this region and to the world,” he added.
The rising foreign casualties have sparked anger among the public in the countries allied with the US in Afghanistan.
NATO’s mounting death toll has slashed public support for the war in Afghanistan in Europe and the US alike.
Nine years into the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, the country remains a hotbed of militancy despite the presence of some thousands of foreign military forces.
Source: Press TV