US soldier deaths in Afghanistan top 300 this year

A bomb killed another US soldier in Afghanistan, bringing to more than 300 the number of American troops killed in the war this year as NATO-led troops pressed deadly raids. The latest death pushed to 301 the number of American soldiers killed in Afghanistan so far this year. The number is nearly twice the 155 American soldiers killed in 2008 when total foreign troop deaths numbered 295 for the entire year. US President Barack Obama has ordered 30,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan in a bid to bring a quick end to the eight-year war against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda that is increasingly unpopular at home. NATO allies have pledged at least another 7,000 troops to back the new US-led drive, which will boost foreign troop numbers to more than 150,000.