Afghanistan violence kills 35, mostly insurgents

Yep, Violence is increasing; so we might as well pull some troops out of the field, That will help out!

AJC
Afghan and NATO forces said Tuesday that 35 people — most of them insurgenhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifts — have been killed in escalating violence as the Taliban try to regain territory lost during the winter months to the U.S.-led coalition.

There has been fierce fighting around Afghanistan, but most has been focused in the southwestern Helmand province and other parts of the southern Taliban heartland. Violence has increased since the insurgents launched an offensive last April.

The office of Helmand Gov. Gulab Mangal said that two separate clashes on Monday left a total of 22 insurgents and two police officers dead. The governor's office also said two young boys were killed as they stepped on a roadside bomb in Helmand.

The provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, was one of seven areas where the coalition last week handed over responsibility for security to Afghan forces. The handover was part of a transition plan that eventually will give the Afghan government control of security around the country by the end of 2014, when foreign combat troops are to leave Afghanistan.