Scattered Violence Kills 21 in Afghanistan

At a point when news from the Afghanistan war seems to be at its worst ever—low public support in the U.S., record-level casualties and falling confidence in NATO’s mission—new bad news tells of at least 21 people being killed, including U.S. troops, children and Afghan security force members, in a span of only 48 hours.

Different kinds of violence—from airstrikes to roadside bombs—were responsible for this spike in casualties during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a period that many experts had initially hoped would produce fewer losses. —JCL

Los Angeles Times:

Scattered violence ranging from airstrikes to roadside bombs killed at least 21 people over a 48-hour span, including U.S. troops, Afghan children and members of the Afghan security forces, officials said Saturday.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has failed to provide a respite from the deaths and injuries of civilians and soldiers across Afghanistan, although U.S. military fatalities are climbing at a slower rate this month than July, the deadliest month of the war for American forces.

This year has seen a sharp increase in civilian casualties. The United Nations reported a 31% jump in noncombatant deaths and injuries in the first half of 2010, three-quarters of which were blamed on the Taliban and other insurgents.

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AP / Brennan Linsley

U.S. soldiers are attended to aboard an Army medical evacuation helicopter in Afghanistan.