Afghanistan death toll hits 200

KABUL, Afghanistan – An American soldier who stepped on a land mine became the 200th U.S. military member to be killed in and around Afghanistan since the Taliban was ousted four years ago, officials reported Saturday.

This year has been the deadliest yet for the 21,000-strong U.S.-led coalition force, with 84 soldiers killed. The toll comes amid a major increase in insurgent violence that has left more than 1,300 people dead since March.

The latest American death came Friday while U.S. troops patrolled in a part of Helmand province that has been wracked by violence by Taliban-led rebels, a military statement said.

The statement quoted Brig. Gen. Jack Sterling, a deputy commander of the U.S.-led coalition, as saying, “Its a sad day any time a comrade dies in this ongoing struggle.”

“While we mourn this loss, we will continue to work to ensure that Afghanistan remains a stable democracy,” he added.

According to Pentagon figures, 200 U.S. personnel have died in the Afghanistan region since the Taliban regime was toppled in late 2001, when it refused to turn over Osama bin Laden and stop offering haven to al-Qaida camps following the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States.