In Afghanistan, Bomb Attacks Hit High in July, USA Today, 19 August 2010

EXCERPT: "Makeshift-bomb attacks in July wounded a record number of U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, and experts say even more would have died without widespread use of armored vehicles. More than 1,300 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were detonated or defused in July ? a new record, said the Pentagon's Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). That's a 42% increase over July 2009. In July 2010, IEDs wounded 399 servicemembers ? a 68% increase ? and killed 53. More troops are surviving blasts in part because of the substantial increase in the number of armored trucks designed to help troops survive bomb blasts, said John Pike, a military analyst at Globalsecurity.org. In July, there were about 9,400 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon. There were fewer than 3,000 a year ago. 'Certainly a factor in survival has been the use of new vehicles there,' Pike said. 'There are a lot more MRAPs.'"

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Related articles:
Afghan police seize bomb chemical, UPI, 19 August 2010
Car bomb kills four, including police district chief, in southern Afghanistan, Channel 6 News, 18 August 2010
UK troops find Taliban "bomb factory" in Helmand, BBC News, 31 July 2010

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