2 US soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan

Two US soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in the south of Afghanistan, pushing the death toll of foreign troops in the country to over 50 for the year so far, NATO says.

In a brief statement, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the two soldiers were killed on Tuesday.

“Two ISAF service members from the United States were killed yesterday in an IED (improvised explosive device) strike in southern Afghanistan,” it said.

On Monday, six more foreign troops were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan.

The deaths bring the number of foreign troops killed in action so far this year to 50. Last month’s death toll of 44 was the highest for the month of January since the US-led invasion in late 2001. It stands in contrast to the 25 deaths in January 2009, AFP reported.

Another record was set last year with the highest overall death toll for foreign soldiers in Afghanistan since the invasion, announced to be 520 and compared to the 295 lives lost in 2008.

The estimated 113,000 international troops in Afghanistan will be supplemented by another 40,000 US and NATO forces.

Afghan civilians, however, have been the main victims of the long-fought controversial war. Thousands of civilians have been killed both by acts of violence, including bombings and daily fighting, and US military operations in the country.