Kabul: An American service member died on Friday when his vehicle struck a bomb in eastern Afghanistan, making August the deadliest month for US forces in the nearly eight-year war.
The grim milestone comes as the top US commander prepares to submit his assessment of the conflict — a report expected to trigger intense debate on the Obama administration`s strategy in an increasingly unpopular war.
The latest death was reported as Afghan officials announced an 80 percent increase in the number of major fraud allegations submitted after last week`s disputed presidential election — a sign of the deep challenges facing the US and its allies in shoring up a legitimate Afghan government capable of withstanding the Taliban insurgency, corruption and drug trafficking.
A brief statement by the NATO command gave few details of the blast and did not say precisely where it occurred. US military spokeswoman Capt Elizabeth Mathias said the service member who died was American.
That brought to 45 the number of US service members killed this month in the Afghan war — one more than the previous monthly record, set in July.
American casualties have been rising steadily following President Barack Obama`s decision to send 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to combat a resurgent Taliban and train Afghan security forces to assume a greater role in battling the insurgents.
Obama`s decision was part of a strategic shift in the US war against international Islamic extremism — moving resources from Iraq, which had been centre stage since the 2003 US-led invasion but where violence has declined sharply from levels of two years ago.
A record 62,000 US troops are now in the country, with 4,000 more due before year`s end. That compares with about 130,000 in Iraq, most due to leave next year.
Since the fresh troops began arriving in Afghanistan last spring, US deaths have climbed steadily — from 12 in May to more than 40 for the past two months as American forces have taken the fight to the Taliban in areas of the country which have long been under insurgent control.
Bureau Report
