Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Foreign troop deaths in Afghan war top 700 in 2010
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Foreign troop deaths in Afghan war top 700 in 2010
AFP - Wednesday, December 22
Send
IM Story
Print
KABUL (AFP) - – International troop deaths in Afghanistan topped 700 in 2010, an independent website said Tuesday, with US military chiefs reportedly pushing to expand special operations ground raids into Pakistan.
The number of coalition forces killed fighting the Taliban this year -- already the deadliest in the nine-year war -- now stands at 702, around a third higher than in 2009, according to an AFP tally based on iCasualties.org.
US troops account for some 70 percent of the deaths and the bloody milestone came just days after a review said President Barack Obama's war strategy was "on track."
Last year, Obama ordered an extra 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan in a bid to rout Al-Qaeda, reverse the Taliban insurgency and bring American forces home as soon as possible.
Limited withdrawals are expected to start next July, with responsibility for security being handed to Afghan forces in 2014, although Obama has acknowledged that combat troops might remain into 2015.
When asked about the death toll, a spokesman for the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) highlighted increased pushes against the Taliban as part of Obama's surge strategy in the war.
"We have been saying there will be increased operations with the increase of troops and the increased focus on insurgent safe havens," the spokesman told AFP.
"We expected and continue to expect the enemy to fight back as we push into those areas and clear them."
The New York Times reported Tuesday that senior US military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing to boost ground raids by special operations forces across the border in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal areas.
The calls come amid growing US frustration with Pakistani efforts to remove militants from strongholds there, the paper said.
Taliban operatives are thought to launch strikes into Afghanistan before retreating back into the cover of the wild, mountainous region.
So far, US forces have been restricted to limited covert operations and unmanned drone strikes in Pakistan.
Even limited operations have provoked angry public reactions from Pakistan, although US cables recently released by WikiLeaks suggest political and military leaders have quietly approved of them.
But ISAF spokesman Rear Admiral Gregory Smith said there was "absolutely no truth" to any suggestion that ground operations into Pakistan were planned.
The Taliban were ousted from power by a US-led invasion after the September 11 attacks, which Washington linked to Al-Qaeda militants being harboured by the Taliban.
There are around 140,000 international troops in Afghanistan. The nations contributing most are the United States, with 90,000 troops, and Britain, with around 9,000.
The bulk of this year's ISAF dead -- 493 -- are US troops, followed by Britons with 101, according to iCasualties.
The total international troop death toll last year stood at 521 while for 2008 the number was 295, the website added.
But Western public support for the increasingly deadly and costly war is dwindling in many countries that contribute troops to the international force.
Last week, 60 percent of Americans surveyed for an ABC News/Washington Post poll thought the war was not worth fighting, up seven points since July.
The number of international troops being killed in Afghanistan is still substantially lower than the number of civilian casualties.
The latest victims were five civilians killed in a firefight involving NATO-led troops in Helmand province, in the south, ISAF said on Tuesday.
"Insurgents attacked coalition forces from a compound with small arms fire and machine guns," ISAF said in a statement.
"Initial reports indicate, after gaining positive identification of the insurgents' position, coalition forces engaged with direct and indirect fire.
"Following the engagement, coalition forces conducted a battle damage assessment and discovered five civilian casualties."
The incident was described as a "tragedy" by Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Hynes of ISAF.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report earlier this month that the number of civilian casualties rose 20 percent in the first 10 months of this year compared with the same period last year.
There were 2,412 deaths and 3,803 injuries in that time, according to preliminary UN figures.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
N.Korea 'ready for sacred war' as South holds major drill AFP - 1 hour 26 minutes ago
Taliban commander killed in Pakistan: security officials AFP - 2 hours 5 minutes ago
Santa is at home in Hong Kong AFP - Friday, December 24
Asia's baby shortage sets demographic timebomb ticking AFP - Friday, December 24
War rhetoric rises between North and South Korea AP - Friday, December 24
News Search
Top Stories
Bomb blasts hit Swiss, Chilean embassies in Rome
US economy hobbles toward brighter 2011
UN demands halt to Ivory Coast killings
US third quarter GDP growth revised higher
British economy suffers growth downgrades
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Fears grow of euro-style debt crisis in US states
More Most Viewed »
Defiant Obama defends tax cuts, eyes 2012
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Friday, 24 December 2010 Foreign troop deaths in Afghan war top 700 in 2010
Skype recovering after major outage
UN demands halt to Ivory Coast killings
Israel, Hamas want to reduce Gaza Strip tension
News
US economy hobbles toward brighter 2011
Samsung to make system chips for Toshiba: source
Women press for more jobs in new Iraqi cabinet
Viacom sells developer of Rock Band video games
Egypt court reduces militant's sentence to 50 years
News
US regulator sets conditions for NBC-Comcast deal
NATO strike on local convoy kills 2, say officials
Venezuela security forces break up student protest
|
News
Samsung eyes $43 billion in 2020 sales from new areas
Israel, Hamas want to reduce Gaza Strip tension: U.N.
|
Iraqi general gunned down in Baghdad
Verigy gets $908 million sweetened Advantest bid
News
Italy approves hotly contested university reform
|
'Suicide bomber' kills policeman in Afghanistan
Five million Britons to shop online on Xmas Day
News
Flu kills 27 in Britain, spreading in Europe
|
Rovi to buy Sonic for $720 million, widens digital
Afghan officials claim 2 killed in NATO strike
Santa is at home in Hong Kong
Samsung to make system chips for Toshiba: report
Asia's baby shortage sets demographic timebomb ticking
India police hunt men said to plan Mumbai attack
Prime minister of Laos resigns
News
War rhetoric rises between North and South Korea
U.N. rights body unites, condemns Ivory Coast violence
German Christmas market brings festive cheer
Jakarta beefs up security with 7,200 policemen
EU, US threaten to review ties with Belarus
Finger bone genome reveals new human ancestor
News
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Skype recovering but still down for 20 percent of users
|
A Minute With: Nicole Kidman working on "Rabbit Hole"
Viacom sells developer of Rock Band video games
|
Iceland's "scary" troll Santas herald Christmas fear
Expedia makes American Air fares harder to find
|
Spice hunter: the second life of a Breton chef
Samsung to make system chips for Toshiba: source
|
News
Christmas: an ordinary day for Zimbabwe's poor
Verigy gets $908 million sweetened Advantest bid
|
Spansion loses U.S. chip patent fight with Samsung
|
Michelle Williams still asks why Heath Ledger died
|
A Minute With: Nicole Kidman working on Rabbit Hole
|
Christmas cheer, Afghan-style, for US troops
Russia to approve nuclear treaty with US
North Korea may have new atom test to boost heir: South
|
TomTom to increase staff, expects more car deals: paper
Pope talks of God's 'surprises' in Christmas message
Hollywood stars Johansson, Reynolds divorce
U.S. defends permits for deals in sanctioned nations
Online holiday sales up 15.4 percent: SpendingPulse
WikiLeaks boss says 'high chance' of US jail killing
Bomb blasts hit Swiss, Chilean embassies in Rome
Viacom sells 'Rock Band' creator Harmonix
Iranian leader urges 'cooperation' at Istanbul nuclear talks
Ex-Google exec's venture firm to raise $100 million: source
Obama to regulate carbon from power plants
Sudan, Darfur rebels clash during ceasefire talks
Irish government nationalises Allied Irish Banks
Haiti urged to halt cholera anti-voodoo lynchings
|
Skype recovering, still down for 20 percent
US economy hobbles toward brighter 2011
Cuba to free two more political prisoners: church
|
Ratification of START nuclear treaty hailed
IBM offers glimpse into the future
Spansion loses U.S. chip patent fight with Samsung
US jobless claims fall near year lows
Bomb explodes at Chilean embassy in Rome
Expedia makes American Air fares harder to find
Bomb wounds Swiss embassy worker in Rome
Spansion loses U.S. chip patent fight with Samsung
Merkel party fined 1.2 mln
Samsung to make system chips for Toshiba: source
Obama, Medvedev discuss START in Thursday call
Samsung eyes $43 billion in 2020 sales from new areas
N.Korea may stage atom test to boost heir: think-tank
Want Kate's engagement ring? Just three bucks in China
Three soldiers, 24 militants killed in NW Pakistan
Ex-Google exec's venture firm to raise $100 million: source
|
Beijing traffic official resigns amid gridlock woes
Stephen Baldwin sues Kevin Costner in BP Oil drama
Online holiday sales up 15.4 percent: SpendingPulse
|
China pledges regular patrols near disputed islands
Wal-Mart invests in Chinese e-commerce firm
|
"Gulliver's Travels" tests Jack Black's appeal
Epic disaster or blockbuster? "Spider-Man" hangs on
Japan, Turkey sign memorandum on nuclear cooperation
Film producer sues over "Black Swan"
Onions push inflation up in India
New Justin Bieber song "Ride" is for another artist
Samsung says in contract chip deal with Toshiba
|
"Little Fockers" tops Wednesday box office
Hangover remedies, Korean style
China investment abroad to top 50 bn dlrs in 2010
TomTom to increase staff, expects more car deals: paper
|
Led Zeppelin drummer's son plays to similar beat
Thai property developer Amari wins contract for Maldives resort
China minister warns EU debt crisis could turn 'chronic'
Rapper Nelly moves forward in life by giving back
Michelle Williams still asks why Heath Ledger died
Seoul shares fall 0.4 pct as autos, airlines weigh
Pakistan to sell T-bills in 6-day repo
Vietnam shipbuilder Vinashin defaults on loan: report
Taiwan c.bank says has not tightened forex mkt rules
Suzuki to supply small cars for Mitsubishi Motors
Seoul shares fall 0.4 pct as autos, airlines weigh
Crude oil mixed in Asian trade
Japan to approve record budget: reports
Epic disaster or blockbuster? Spider-Man hangs on
|
Gulliver's Travels tests Jack Black's appeal
|
Little Fockers tops Wednesday box office
|
Stephen Baldwin sues Kevin Costner in BP Oil drama
|
New Justin Bieber song Ride is for another artist
|
Rapper Nelly moves forward in life by giving back
|
Led Zeppelin drummer's son plays to similar beat
|
Film producer sues over Black Swan
|
Iranian officer captured in Afghanistan: NATO
Heavy snow strands Christmas travelers in Europe
|
Naked Aphrodite on Cyprus passport causes stir
Fujitsu to lift cloud computing investment next year
Pope hails God's 'surprises' in Christmas message
Russia pushes toward approval of nuclear arms pact
|
Iraqi kills daughter who wanted to be suicide bomber
|
Toshiba overhauls chip operations with Samsung and Sony deals
Hamas says committed to mutual truce with Israel
|
West African leaders meet on Ivory Coast crisis
|
US pays Pakistan more than 600 mln dlrs for support
Pakistan clashes kill 11 troops, 24 militants
|
Delhi Games chief defiant after police raids
Suspected Afghan weapons smuggler not Iranian guard
|
Laos' ex-PM 'lacked strong support'
Ukraine's Tymoshenko faces second criminal probe
|
Pakistan clashes kill 11 troops
Kenyans believe ICC suspects will be convicted: poll
|
China bars political dissident access to lawyers
Indian doctor gets life for aiding Maoists
St. Petersburg icicle patrol fights winter hazards
Holiday boyfriend put up for auction in China
Thailand bans film about transgender father
Indonesia set to release Vietnamese fishermen
Philippine Airlines loses wage row with union
Thailand bans 'immoral' transgender film
Ex-Google exec's venture firm to raise $100 million: source
|
Fujitsu to lift cloud computing investment next year
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights