French troop deaths bring Sarkozy to Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Afghanistan, determined to fight terrorism despite 10 French soldiers being killed in fighting near Kabul.

The soldiers, who were with NATO forces in Afghanistan, died Tuesday in one of the deadliest Taliban attacks, the Voice of America reported. The attacks also injured 21 other French soldiers.

The BBC quoted an Afghan intelligence officer as saying the troops were ambushed from several directions by heavily-armed Taliban and al-Qaida forces.

Before leaving for Afghanistan to be with the French troops, Sarkozy said France remains committed to fighting terrorism, VOA reported.

France plans to have up to 2,600 soldiers in eastern Afghanistan by the end of the month.

"It's an incredibly dangerous mission that both French and other NATO allies are on, and what we've seen since 2007 is an increasingly capable Taliban insurgency -- able to hit not just at civilian targets and the reconstruction efforts, but also against NATO soldiers," Daniel Korski of the European Council on Foreign Relations in London told VOA.

Korski warned that despite France's commitment in Afghanistan, the latest casualties may raise concerns among the public about sending its soldiers there.