Afghanistan death toll continues to mount

Two more American troops were killed in Afghanistan today pushing the Nato losses to 23 in just over a week.

The latest deaths came as insurgents stepped up bombings and other attacks ahead of a major Nato operation in the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.

Yesterday was the worst this year for international forces in Afghanistan, when seven American troops, two Australians and a French Legionnaire were killed in five separate attacks in the south and east of the country.

Two civilian contractors training police, an American and a Nepalese, also died in a suicide attack in the southern city of Kandahar.

Nato said two service members were killed today in a makeshift bomb blast in southern Afghanistan.

The deaths took the toll on Nato forces to 23 in June.

Half of yesterday’s deaths – five Americans – were in a single blast in eastern Afghanistan.

Two other US troops were killed in separate attacks in the south – one in a bombing and the other by small arms fire.

“I think we’re just seeing a hard day in theatre,” Lt. Gen. David Hurley, the acting commander of Australia’s defence forces, said, announcing his nation’s 12th and 13th deaths in Afghanistan among some 1,500 troops.

Yesterday was the deadliest day for Nato since October 26, when 11 American troops were killed, including seven who died in a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan. The crash was not believed a result of hostile fire.

US commanders have warned of more casualties as the alliance gears up for a major operation to secure Kandahar, the former headquarters of the Taliban and the biggest city in the south with a half million people.

Last December President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan to try to stem the rise of the Taliban, who have bounced back since they were ousted from power in the 2001 US-led invasion. Mr Obama has shifted the focus of the campaign to Afghanistan from Iraq.

Afghans were also caught up in yesterday’s wave of violence.

Five Afghan private security guards were killed and four others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in eastern Ghazni province.

Two Afghan security guards were killed and two wounded a gun battle with insurgents in another part of the province.

Afghan special forces backed by US helicopter gunships battled with insurgents for 12 hours overnight in a remote Taliban-controlled region of north-western Badghis province.

As fighting escalates, the Afghan government is reaching out to the insurgents in hopes of ending the war.

Last week President Hamid Karzai won endorsement from a national conference for his plan to offer incentives to the militants to lay down their arms, and to seek talks with the Taliban leadership.