Blast kills NATO service member in southern Afghanistan

PanARMENIAN.Net - An improvised explosive device killed a NATO service member in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, Feb 15, the U.S.-led international military coalition said, according to the Associated Press.

In its statement, the coalition did not give further details on where the incident occurred or the nationality of the service member killed.

Saturday's death brings to five the number of coalition troops who have died in Afghanistan so far this month. So far this year, 12 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press.

Afghan insurgents have increased attacks in recent months, intensifying a campaign to regain territory as foreign forces draw down ahead of a full withdrawal at the end of 2014.

In a statement commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal, the Taliban drew parallels with American forces in the country and called on Afghans to drive them out.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said the USSR's forces had killed innocent people and "destroyed our country," but that "all our nation stood against them and were able to defeat them."

Ahmadi said that instead of taking that as a lesson, Americans invaded — making them "the same as yesterday's Soviets."

He urged Afghans to "deal with today's invaders as they dealt with yesterday's invaders," adding that "there is no difference between our jihad of yesterday and today."