Afghan violence rising

Suicide attackers have struck 78 times in Afghanistan this year killing nearly 200 people, according to the Nato peacekeeping force.The data comes after Prime Minister Tony Blair promised to give British troops whatever resources they required to fight Taliban militants in the country.Military chiefs responded with a request for more helicopters which the Minsistry of Defence is examining.Figures released by the Nato security force say the attacks are part of an intensified Taliban insurgency that has brought the worst violence since 2001.In the past 12 months there were 78 attacks with 13 foreign soldiers, 22 Afghan soldiers and 18 Afghan police killed.Nato said vehicles were used in 60 of the attacks, 18 of which involved a bicycle.It added it had discovered 10 attempted suicide attacks and detained 13 people in connection with suicide attacks.Meanwhile, authorities have identified up to six people they want to question about the killing of two German journalists shot dead while camping.The reporters, a woman and a man who worked for Deutsche Welle radio, were killed in the early hours of Saturday, when gunmen attacked them in their tent in Baghlan province, about 80 miles north of Kabul.The governor of Baghlan, Sayed Ikram Mahsomi, said: "We have identified from four to six people in the area where the attack took place."We are going to make arrests as soon as we get more information."

ITN | October 8, 2006

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