This dramatic photograph of a US marine fleeing for his life in Afghanistan is believed to be the first time a roadside bomb explosion ‑ the kind that poses the greatest threat to UK troops ‑ has been caught on camera. The huge cloud of smoke and dirt in the picture, taken yesterday in the southern Helmand province, obscures the bodies of two other US marines killed by the improvised explosive device (IED). Of the 47 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year, 36 lost their lives to Taliban IEDs, including seven of the eight killed in 24 hours last week. Last year saw a a record 3,276 IED attacks in Afghanistan, killing 161 Nato soldiers and wounding 722 others.
First ever image of IED roadside explosion in Afghanistan
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Image taken yesterday shows Taliban IED attack, the kind that poses the biggest threat to UK troops in the country
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