Afghan official blames Iran's blockade for fuel shortage

Afghanistan's commerce minister has blamed Iran for the country's fuel shortage, the DPA news agency reported on Monday.

"Afghanistan is suffering. The stoppage of fuel tankers has created great problems and a crisis for us in terms of fuel supply," Anwarul Haq Ahadi told journalists.

Iran cut its fuel supply route to Afghanistan for more than a month without providing a convincing reason in early December. It has been allowing only small numbers of trucks, 40 tankers a day, to cross the border. There were still about 1,800 to 1,900 tankers on the other side, Ahadi said.

Roadside bomb kills nine taxi passengers in northern Afghanistan

A roadside bomb killed nine people traveling in a taxi in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, police and coalition forces said.

The attack happened around 1 p.m. local time in the Pul-e Khumi district of Baghlan province when a taxi struck an improvised explosive device (IED), according to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The nine people traveling in the taxi were killed.

Blast in southern Afghanistan kills Danish soldier

A Danish soldier was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, Danish officials and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

The Danish military said its soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while he was on a dismounted patrol, about six miles (9 kilometers) northeast of Gereshk, a town in Helmand Province. His identity was not immediately released, although next-of-kin have been notified.

The country's Army Operational Command said comrades and sanitation experts immediately gave first aid to the injured soldier after the explosion. He was then evacuated by helicopter to the field hospital at Camp Bastion, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Another NATO soldier killed in Afghan violence

KABUL -- Another coalition service member was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

ISAF said the service member was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in the country's south, but provided no other information about the attack.

The nationality of the service member was also not immediately disclosed. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," an ISAF statement said.

Bomb blast kills soldier in southern Afghanistan

KABUL - A coalition service member was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on New Year's Day, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

ISAF said the service member was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in the country's south, but provided no other information about the attack.

The nationality of the service member was also not immediately disclosed. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," an ISAF statement said.

NATO forces in Afghanistan end 2010 with highest death toll since war began

KABUL - Troops with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan welcomed the year 2011 on Saturday as the alliance said goodbye to a grim year with the highest coalition death toll on record.

NATO forces in Afghanistan end 2010 with highest death toll since war beganIn 2010, NATO and its partner allies reported a total coalition death toll of at least 709, which is considerably higher than the 521 fatalities in 2009. But it is even more grim when compared to previous years, showing a rapidly increasing death toll as insurgents continue to bring heavy losses to international troops.

The darkest month of the war was perhaps in July, with around 90 fatalities in this month alone, making it the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began on October 7, 2001 in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Suspected U.S. drone strikes kill 15 in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Three suspected U.S. drone strikes killed at least 15 people in northwest Pakistan on early Saturday morning, local media reported.

Geo Television reported that the strikes were carried out in North Waziristan, where the United States is most active, and targeted two suspected militant hideouts and a vehicle. "At least fifteen suspected militants have been killed and many others injured," an unidentified security official told the news channel.

Blast kills NATO soldier in southern Afghanistan on New Year's Eve

KABUL - A coalition service member was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on New Year's Eve, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

ISAF said the service member was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in the country's south, but provided no other information about the attack.

The nationality of the service member was also not immediately disclosed. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," an ISAF statement said.

Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply this year, with around 90 fatalities in July alone, making it the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began on October 7, 2001 in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

U.S. DHS Secretary Napolitano arrives in Kabul to spend New Year's Eve with troops

KABUL - U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Friday arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul on a weeklong trip which will also take her to Qatar, Israel and Belgium.

Napolitano arrived in Kabul at approximately 7.42 a.m. local time along with six additional DHS customs and border security officials who will join DHS personnel already deployed in the region to provide civilian assistance to local security officials.

While in Afghanistan, Secretary Napolitano will meet with senior U.S. and Afghan officials - including Afghan ministers as well as security experts from DHS and other civilians from across the U.S. government - to discuss progress being made in securing the region. She will also spend New Year's Eve with American troops.