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US troop death tally of 63 makes for deadliest month in Afghanistan
Three US troops died in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the military death toll for July to at least 63 and surpassing the previous month's record as the deadliest for American forces in the nearly nine-year-old war.
The three died in two blasts in southern Afghanistan the day before, a NATO statement said today. No names or nationalities were given, but US officials said the three were Americans.
US and NATO commanders had warned that casualties would rise as the international military force ramped up the war against the Taliban, especially in the organization's southern strongholds in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 US reinforcements to Afghanistan last December in an effort to turn back the resurgent Taliban.