Nine soldiers with the US-led NATO force have died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, making this the deadliest year for foreign troops since the war began nine years ago. Few details were available on the crash, but it occurred in southern Afghanistan, where violence has surged in recent months. The deaths push this year’s foreign troop toll to at least 529, surpassing last year’s record of 521 casualties.
The milestone comes as British forces have handed control of one of southern Afghanistan’s most violent districts to the United States. Sangin, located in Helmand province, has accounted for nearly a third of British casualties since the 2001 invasion.