Seven Americans Dead in Afghan Blast

It’s been a bloody day for allied forces in Afghanistan. Seven service members, all of them American, were killed alongside two Afghan policemen when a bomb detonated in Kandahar province, near the Pakistani border. The Taliban has claimed responsibility. "It was a big, powerful blast," a local police chief said. "A container of explosives was placed in the ground, and it exploded when the NATO forces were passing. They were on a foot patrol." Meanwhile, an eighth NATO soldier, whose nationality is not yet determined, was killed when a helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan. It was the most perilous day for coalition troops in nearly a month.