It has been reported that seven U.S. soldiers have been killed in a string of roadside bombs and clashes in southern Afghanistan, in one of the most violent days in the country for months.

The International Security Assistance Forces spokesperson Brigadier General, Gunter Katz spoke at a news conference to confirm the deaths

According to officials Twenty-eight Afghan civilians and police were also killed in southern Kandahar and Helmand provinces. Brigadier Katz extended his condolences to all of the injured and killed.

This latest attack takes it to a five year high of deaths . With NATO stating the vast majority of these deaths are caused by Taliban insurgents, not by the coalition. Ironically on the same day of the attack, major donors in Tokyo pledged 16 billion U.S dollars in development aid for Afghanistan over the next four years. As they try to prevent it from sliding back into chaos once most foreign troops have left by the end of 2014.

Written and Presented by Ann Salter