Deadly Attacks Surge as U.S. Troops Prepare to Leave Afghanistan
- Militant attacks rose 37% in the March quarter in Afghanistan
- As many as 17 million Afghans are also facing food shortages
The U.S. plans to complete the final withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 troops from the country by Sept. 11.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Violence surged in war-torn Afghanistan in the first quarter of the year as U.S. forces prepared to leave the country after two decades.
Attacks by the Taliban and other militant groups surged 37% in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to a report that cited both U.S. forces and the United Nations. As many as 643 people were killed and 1,395 injured, the U.S. forces reported, while the UN recorded 572 deaths, according to a report by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, a Pentagon watchdog.