Foreign troop deaths in Afghanistan reach 700

According to the independent website iCasualities.org, the number of forces killed fighting the Taliban this year stood at 701.

When asked about the figures, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) highlighted increased pushes against the Taliban as port of Obama’s strategy.

“We have been saying there will be increased operations with the increase of troops and the increased focus on insurgent safe havens,” an ISAF spokesman said. “We expected and continue to expect the enemy to fight back as we push into those areas and clear them.”

The US president had ordered an extra 30,000 US troops into the war in a bid to defeat Al-Qaeda and allow American forces to go home as soon as possible.