The numbers tell a grim story. Of the 300 or so combat deaths sustained by coalition forces in Afghanistan this year, roughly 70 per cent were caused by roadside bombs. And the threat is getting worse. In July attacks were up 137 per cent compared with the previous year.
No wonder then that commanders have repeatedly identified improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as the major hazard to their troops. Just last week Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, pledged to deploy another 200 counter-IED specialists to deal with the threat.
