US fatalities in Afghanistan reach 1,000

The number of American soldiers killed in Afghanistan has reached 1,000 since the US-led invasion of 2001, says an independent website.

Icasualties.org, which records military deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq released the figure on Tuesday.

The first two months of 2010 have been the deadliest for US forces with 54 dead soldiers so far, showing a significant increase over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen warned of more casualties when the US-led forces launched an offensive in Marjah two weeks ago.

“We must steel ourselves, no matter how successful we are on any given day, for harder days yet to come,” said Mullen.

Opponents of the Afghan war said they planned to mark the death toll reaching 1,000 with a vigil in New York City.

Since taking office a year ago, US President Barack Obama has ordered an additional 50,000 troops to join the more than 100,000 forces currently deployed in Afghanistan.