4 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan violence

Many Americans are starting their work weeks amid somber news from the war zone in Afghanistan.

The Los Angeles Times quotes U.S. military and NATO officials in confirming the deaths of four American servicemembers on the southern and eastern fronts. Three U.S. troops died today while battling insurgents in the south, while the report says a fourth servicemember died of injuries suffered near the Pakistani border.

The tragedies come soon after another U.S. Marine was killed and five wounded in a Saturday bombing in Nawa, Afghanistan. An embedded British journalist also died in the attack, and another was seriously injured.

The families of the five fallen heroes killed in action since Friday will be notified by the Pentagon before the servicemembers' names are released to the public. We can only pray for these good people as they receive the terrible news that will change their lives.

The L.A. Times article also talks about a new military operation in the works:

U.S. Marines are preparing to soon launch a major offensive in the Helmand River Valley, commanders have said. The Marines, who arrived in force over the summer, are expected to push into the town of Marja, where many insurgents have taken shelter from fighting elsewhere in the area.

The town, ringed by canals and agricultural fields, is a major hub for narcotics trafficking, and Taliban fighters have long had free rein in the area.

Reporter Laura King also writes that combat usually diminishes during Afghanistan's fierce winters, but this year's has been unseasonably warm, a contrast from the frigid temperatures most of us are experiencing on the homefront. Let's hope the mild winter a half a world away gives our troops an opportunity to accomplish their mission even faster than expected.