151 U.S. troops die in Afghanistan in 2008

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151 U.S. troops die in Afghanistan in 2008
By Jason Straziuso - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Dec 31, 2008 12:59:45 EST

KABUL, Afghanistan — A record 151 U.S. forces died in Afghanistan in 2008, the deadliest year yet in a seven-year war that military officials say is likely to get even bloodier in 2009, as thousands more American troops pour into the country.

The number of roadside bombs doubled from the year before to roughly 2,000, with many of the devices more powerful than in previous years.

Unlike in 2007, when militants carried out ambushes only in small numbers, insurgents over the last year massed in groups of hundreds on multiple occasions. Some 200 militants nearly overran a small U.S. outpost in eastern Afghanistan in July, launching an early morning attack that killed nine U.S. troops.

U.S. forces suffered an average of 21 deaths in Afghanistan each month this year from May to October — by far the deadliest six-month period in Afghanistan for American soldiers since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban.

The U.S. now has some 32,000 forces in the country — record levels — and officials say those troops have moved into new territory and rousted militants in those regions.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_afghanistan_deaths_123108/%2e