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| Afghanistan |
| Day of Afghan attacks kills eight Nato service members |
| 2011-04-18 |
[Dawn] Insurgent attacks in Afghanistan killed eight NATO service members in one of the deadliest days for the military coalition this year, signaling the start of what many fear will be a particularly violent fighting season as President Barack B.O.Obama looks to start drawing down troops, authorities said Sunday. The spate of attacks happened Saturday, when two separate kabooms in the south killed three soldiers and a suicide kaboom by a Taliban sleeper agent killed five NATO service members at a US base in the east. Fighting usually increases in Afghanistan as the weather warms and cut-throats climb back over the mountainous border with Pakistain. This year, NATO has pushed further into Taliban strongholds in the south and has said the goal is to hold these areas so that cut-throats cannot re-establish their dominance. Saturday's suicide kaboom in eastern Laghman province also killed four Afghan soldiers and an interpreter. The Taliban grabbed credit for the bombing and front man Zabiullah Mujahid said Sunday that the soldier was a sleeper agent who had been in the army for years and had been in contact with Taliban operatives for "a long time." He said the soldier had only been at this specific base for one month. Previously, the Taliban had said the soldier had only joined the army a month ago. NATO has not identified the nationalities of any of the dead from Saturday's attacks. The international military coalition typically waits for national authorities to make such announcements. The majority of troops in both the east and south are American, though there are forces from other nations in both regions. The latest deaths make 23 NATO service members killed so far this month in Afghanistan and 125 killed so far this year. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 NATO has not identified the nationalities of any of the dead from Saturday's attacks. The international military coalition typically waits for national authorities to make such announcements All US Army advisors and contractors to the Afghan Army. Difficult to esacape someone in an Afghan uniform walking around a crowded meeting table pulling grenade pins while mumbling Allah Akbar. But remember, this is "the good war." |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-04-18 19:05 |