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Deadliest Month for International Troops in Afghanistan

   VOA News 24 June 2010
   The  Royal  Canadian  Regiment,  help  a comrade, center, getting on a
   helicopter after he was injured in Afghanistan

Photo: AP

   Canadian  soldiers  with  the 1st RCR Battle Group, The Royal Canadian
   Regiment, help a comrade, center, getting on a helicopter after he was
   injured  in  an  IED  blast  during  a  patrol outside Salavat, in the
   Panjwayi district, southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, 7 Jun 2010

   June  has  become  the  deadliest  month  for  international troops in
   Afghanistan since the conflict began.

   News  agencies  who  track U.S. and NATO casualty announcements say at
   least 79 troops have died this month.

   NATO  said Thursday that four troops died in southern Afghanistan late
   Wednesday.  Britain  said the soldiers died when their vehicle crashed
   near Gereshk in Helmand province.

   On  Wednesday,  NATO  announced  the  deaths  of  four  troops in bomb
   explosions in southern, eastern and western Afghanistan.

   Australia's  defense  minister  said Wednesday his country could begin
   withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan in two years.

   John  Faulkner said Australian troops could see their mission to train
   Afghan  forces  change to what he called an "overwatch role," allowing
   Afghans to take control of security.

   Australia  has  about  1,500  troops  in  Afghanistan, most of them in
   Uruzgan  province.  Sixteen  Australian  troops  have  died  since the
   country joined the U.S.-led mission to defeat the Taliban in 2001.

   Militants  have  been  increasing  attacks ahead of a planned military
   effort  by  NATO to clear southern Kandahar city and surrounding areas
   of Taliban insurgents.

   In  eastern Nangarhar province, police say a roadside bombing targeted
   a  parliamentary  candidate  on  Wednesday  and  killed one person and
   wounded the candidate.

   In  another  roadside  bombing,  Afghanistan's  Interior Ministry said
   seven  security  guards  working  for a private construction firm were
   killed when their vehicle hit a bomb in Uruzgan province Wednesday.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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