Afghanistan War News Updates -- January 26, 2009

Soldiers with the US Army's 6-4 Cavalry watch a nearby road during a patrol near Combat Outpost Keating in eastern Afghanistan January 21, 2009. (Bob Strong/Reuters)

Afghan Roadside Bombs Hit Record In 2008 -- Navy Times

WASHINGTON — Roadside bomb attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan hit an all-time high last year, killing more troops than ever and highlighting an “emboldened” insurgency there, according to figures released by the Pentagon.

Last year, 3,276 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated or were detected before blowing up in Afghanistan, a 45 percent increase compared with 2007. The number of troops in the U.S.-led coalition killed by bombs more than doubled in 2008 from 75 to 161. The Pentagon data did not break down the casualties by nationality.

Roadside bombs in Afghanistan wounded an additional 722 coalition troops last year, setting another record.

In Afghanistan, “an emboldened, increasingly aggressive enemy has increased the use of IEDs,” Irene Smith, a spokeswoman for the Joint IED Defeat Organization, the Pentagon’s lead agency for combating roadside bombs, said in an e-mail.

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More News On The Afghan War

Biden Sees Afghanistan 'Uptick' -- Washington Times
Vice President Joe Biden on Afghanistan: More U.S. troop deaths likely -- Chicago Tribune
Karzai Condemns US Raid He Says Killed 16 Civilians -- Voice of America
Karzai anger at US strike deaths -- BBC
Afghan President: US Forces Killed 16 Civilians -- Associated Press
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says16 civilians killed in US attack on Taliban -- The Telegraph
From Hospital, Afghans Rebut US Account -- New York Times
Karzai Slams US Over Slain Civilians -- The Australian
Fearing Another Quagmire in Afghanistan -- New York Times
Obama's Challenge in Afghanistan -- Washington Times editorial
Continuing Bush policies in Israel and Afghanistan -- Salon opinion