The number of American troops in Afghanistan killed by improvised explosive devices rose 60 percent last year to 268, about the same number who perished in the three previous years combined, according to military statistics obtained by The Washington Post.
The figures also show that the number of those wounded by the roadside bombs in 2010 nearly tripled, to 3,366. The bombs are the biggest cause of casualties for U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
The head of a Pentagon agency charged with combating the IEDs, Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates, noted a recent decline in the percentage of bomb attacks that caused casualties among U.S., NATO and Afghan troops and Afghan civilians, from 25 in the summer to 16 in December.
"We're enjoying success there, and I do believe we're going to continue to reduce [the enemy's] effectiveness," he said.
The IEDs, made mostly of fertilizer, lack metal or electronic parts that would make them easier to detect.
The military anticipated a rise in the attacks because of the surge in troops and intensified combat, but it comes amid the use of more countermeasures, like mine-clearing machines, fertilizer-sniffing dogs and blimps equipped with spy cameras.
Read more at The Washington Post.
Report: Troop Deaths by IEDs in Afghanistan Up 60 Percent
Jan 26, 2011 – 7:06 AM
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