4 US Soldiers, 28 Afghanis Killed in War Attacks, June 1, 2009

4 US troops killed in IED strikes in Afghanistan

By Jason Straziuso, Associated Press Writer –

Mon Jun 1, 2009, 2:56 pm ET

KABUL –

Two roadside bombs that struck back-to-back and only miles apart hit two U.S. military vehicles in Afghanistan Monday, killing four American troops, U.S. and Afghan officials said.

U.S. military officials have predicted a 50 percent spike in IED attacks in Afghanistan this year as militants step up attacks and thousands of more troops pour into the country.

The deaths bring to 64 the number of U.S. forces killed in Afghanistan this year, according to an Associated Press count based on military figures. That far surpasses the 36 troops killed through the first five months of 2008, the deadliest year for American forces since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban.

Col. Greg Julian, the top U.S. spokesman in Afghanistan, said the two attacks occurred "not too far away from each other." He declined to give further details, including where the strikes took place, because family members hadn't yet been notified. He confirmed the deaths of four Americans.

"We certainly do expect an increase and there has been an increase in insurgents' use of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), which is their primary means of conducting attacks because they can't launch an effective direct attack," Julian said. "And we anticipate a continued increase in the use of this tactic."

Though the U.S. military declined to say where the strikes occurred, an Afghan official said the two attacks happened in Wardak, one province west of Kabul that saw an influx of 10th Mountain Division troops earlier this year.

Mohammad Hanif Hanifi, the top government official in Nirkh district, said a U.S. vehicle hit an IED around 6 p.m. in a village that troops routinely patrol through at that time. He said a second vehicle hit a mine only 15 or 20 minutes later and that a helicopter flew in to evacuate casualties.

Associated Press reporter Amir Shah contributed to this report.

4 U.S. Soldiers Among 28 Killed In Violence Across Afghanistan

Mon Jun 1, 2009

KABUL (AFP)--

A surge in (Taliban fighters' attacks) across Afghanistan left 28 people dead, including four U.S. soldiers killed by bombs near the capital, officials said Monday.

NATO-led forces announced the deaths of four of its soldiers in a statement that did not give their nationalities.

"Four International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members were killed as a result of two improvised explosive device attacks in eastern Afghanistan today," it said.

An ISAF official told AFP on condition of anonymity that they were U.S. troops who were killed in Wardak province near Kabul.

About 3,000 U.S. troops moved into Wardak and Logar provinces, both strategic areas which adjoin the capital, early this year to combat growing insurgent violence.

Most of the soldiers in eastern Afghanistan are from the United States, which has more troops in the country than any other foreign nation, and which led the invasion that removed the Taliban regime in 2001.

Before Monday's killings, 117 international soldiers had lost their lives in Afghanistan so far this year, according to a tally maintained by the icasualties.org website.

Homemade bombs - called improvised explosive devices by the military - cause 70% to 80% of the casualties to foreign troops in Afghanistan, the military says

More international soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan than Iraq every month this year except February, according to casualties.

In other deadly attacks, Taliban fighters stormed a police post near the northern town of Kunduz, where German and Belgian troops are based for ISAF.

"Four policemen were martyred when Taliban attacked the police post," Kunduz police chief General Abdul Razaq told AFP.

The US military announced in various statements that its forces had killed 11 (Taliban fighters) in separate air strikes and clashes in Wardak, Ghazni and Uruzgan provinces.

Heavy clashes continued in the northwestern province of Badghis with Afghan troops killing five (Taliban fighters) and wounding eight Sunday, the army spokesman for western Afghanistan, Abdul Basir Ghori, told AFP.

A rocket fired by the(Taliban fighters) killed a woman and a shopkeeper the same day in the same district, he said.

In another attack Sunday blamed on (Taliban fighters), a roadside bomb killed an Afghan soldier in the eastern province of Paktya, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Separately a school teacher was killed and one was abducted in a (Taliban fighters) attack late Sunday in western Farah province, the Afghan education ministry said.

U.S. President Barack Obama is sending 17,000 more combat troops and 4,000 military trainers to shore up international efforts in Afghanistan.

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