Monday, June 21, 2010

Royal Marine is 300th British death in Afghanistan


British military death toll in Afghanistan hits 300 after nine years of war

The Guardian

"The death has been announced of the 300th British fatality in Afghanistan, a widely anticipated but still grim milestone in the nine-year war.....

Although the US has lost far more soldiers, a UK report has found that the rate of British deaths has been almost four times higher, and double that which classifies warfare as "major combat".

The analysis, by the Medical Research Council's biostatistics unit at Cambridge University, shows the death rate reached 13 per 1,000 personnel years in the 12 months to May. The official classification of major combat is reached at six per 1,000 personnel years. In February and May the UK death rate reached 9.9 per 1,000 personnel years, compared with 2.7 for US forces. The death rate has also doubled in Afghanistan since 2006."

Four troops die in Afghan copter crash

"Three Australian soldiers and one American service member were killed today in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, officials said.

Including Monday's crash, at least 57 international troops, including 35 Americans, have died so far this month, a rate that could make June among the deadliest for US and other international forces in the nearly nine-year war. The deadliest for the international force was July 2009 when 75 troops, including 44 Americans, were killed....."

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