Bodies stack up in a century of global warfare: Experts disagree on how to count the dead

NEW YORK — War is hell, it’s long been said. But just how hellish it can be is a more difficult question, judging from disputes among researchers at several highly respected international peace institutes. They cannot agree on whether war is becoming more or less deadly — or even on how to count the dead.

Sri Lankan doctors in government detention say they exaggerated war casualties

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A group of Sri Lankan doctors who have been in police custody for nearly two months were brought before the media Wednesday to recant their reports of mass civilian casualties during the final days of the civil war.

7 troops killed in deadliest day for US in Afghanistan in a year; Taliban claim kidnapping

KABUL — Bombs and bullets killed seven American troops while three NATO troops died in a helicopter crash in one of the deadliest days for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, officials said Tuesday.

7 US troops killed in Afghanistan attacks; forces ordered to limit airstrikes

KABUL — Bombs and bullets killed seven American troops throughout Afghanistan Monday, officials said, as thousands of U.S. Marines continued with their massive anti-Taliban offensive in the south.

New US guidelines aim for fewer Afghan civilian deaths by limiting airstrikes

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — The U.S. military made public new guidelines Monday for its troops in Afghanistan, battlefield rules that seek to reduce the number of civilian casualties in an increasingly deadly war.

Amnesty accuses Israel, Hamas of war crimes in Gaza offensive

JERUSALEM — Amnesty International accused Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes Thursday in the most comprehensive report on the recent Gaza war. Both sides rejected the findings.

Human Rights Watch says Israeli drone airstrikes killed at least 29 Gaza civilians

JERUSALEM — Human Rights Watch charged Tuesday that Israeli pilots failed to verify targets of drone aircraft at least six times during the Gaza war, firing missiles that killed at least 29 civilians.

Motorcycle bombs kill at least 20 people in separate attacks in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Motorcycle bombs killed at least 20 people in separate attacks in Baghdad Friday, at least 19 of them in a crowded bazaar, part of an apparent trend toward increased use of motorcycles to thwart stepped-up security measures.

US general says coalition troops need to make protecting Afghan civilians top mission

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said that U.S. and other NATO troops must make a “cultural shift” away from being a force designed for high intensity combat and instead make protecting Afghan civilians their first priority.

Suspected US missiles strike funeral of suspected militant in Pakistan; 2 killed

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Witnesses and officials say suspected U.S. missiles have hit the funeral of purported Pakistan militants killed earlier in a similar strike.

US national security adviser meets Afghan presidential candidates; attacks kill 5 civilians

KABUL — President Barack Obama’s national security adviser insisted Tuesday that the U.S. is staying out of Afghanistan’s upcoming presidential race — a common refrain among officials seeking to allay suspicions that Washington controls Afghan politics.

5 Afghan civilians killed in bomb attacks in Afghanistan

KABUL — Five Afghan civilians were killed by bomb attacks Tuesday — two caught in a blast aimed at a military convoy and three aid workers whose vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

Suicide bomber attacks troop convoy in central Afghanistan, 2 civilians killed

KABUL — A suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of international troops in central Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing two Afghan civilians, officials said.

Analysis: New bombing rule in Afghanistan aimed at winning war, not just the battle

WASHINGTON — Stricter new rules for combat and bombing raids in Afghanistan may well complicate the battlefield for American forces, but officials say the changes are crucial to reducing civilian deaths that have been undermining the war effort.

Bombings and shootings kill 33 in Iraq as violence intensifies ahead of US withdrawal

BAGHDAD — Bombings and shootings killed at least 33 people in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Monday, including a group of high school students on a bus headed for final exams, as violence intensified before a planned withdrawal next week of U.S. troops from urban areas.

Bombings kill 21 in Iraq as violence intensifies ahead of US withdrawal

BAGHDAD — Bombings killed at least 21 people in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Monday, including high school students on their way to final exams, as violence intensified before a planned withdrawal next week of U.S. troops from urban areas.

Bombings kill 18 in Baghdad area as violence intensifies ahead of US withdrawal

BAGHDAD — Bombings killed as many as 18 people in the Baghdad area on Monday as violence intensifies ahead of a planned withdrawal next week of U.S. troops from major cities and urban areas.

US general to order troops to halt battles near Afghan homes to avoid civilian deaths

KABUL — The U.S. commander in Afghanistan will soon order U.S. and NATO forces to break away from fights with militants hiding among villagers, an official said Monday, announcing one of the strongest measures yet to protect Afghan civilians.

Suicide bombers kill 6 civilians in eastern Afghanistan, 3 Afghan soldiers in the south

KABUL — A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed six civilians Monday when he drove into the center of an eastern Afghan city and set off explosives.

Suicide bombers kill 5 civilians in eastern Afghanistan, 3 Afghan soldiers in the south

KABUL — A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed five civilians Monday when he drove into the center of an eastern Afghan city and set off his explosives.

Latest clashes in Pakistan leave more 30 dead, including 7 killed by civilian militia

ISLAMABAD — Military jets and artillery pounded suspected militant hide-outs in two towns in Pakistan’s northwest on Sunday, killing 27 fighters, officials said. Elsewhere in the volatile region, a citizens’ militia killed seven suspected militants.

Afghan gov’t: Report shows military not shielding civilians, welcomes US admission of error

KABUL — Afghanistan’s government welcomed Saturday a U.S. report accepting blame for a bombing run that killed dozens of villagers, saying it confirmed that international military forces were not doing enough to safeguard civilians.

Military says US warplane didn’t follow strict rules, probably killed 26 Afghan civilians

WASHINGTON — The United States accidentally killed an estimated 26 Afghan civilians last month when a warplane did not strictly adhere to rules for bombing, the U.S. military concluded in a report that recommends even tighter controls to limit deaths that risk turning Afghans against the U.S war effort.

Military: 3 US airstrikes didn’t follow rules, probably killed 26 Afghan civilians, 78 Taliban

WASHINGTON — A U.S. warplane failed to follow all operational rules in a complex battle in Afghanistan last month that killed an estimated 26 civilians and 78 Taliban fighters, the U.S. military concluded in a report released Friday.

Afghan civilian casualties one of the greatest strategic problems in the war

WASHINGTON — U.S. special operations forces in Afghanistan need more precision weapons systems to better avoid unintended civilian deaths, a top military officer told Congress Thursday.

Gates calls Afghan civilian casualties one of the greatest strategic problems in the war

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the accidental killing of civilians in Afghanistan has become one of the military’s greatest strategic problems in the faltering war.

Pakistan military readying operation in tribal zone, but it is in ‘early stages’

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s military said Tuesday it is in the early stages of an operation against the country’s Taliban leader in an area considered the deepest stronghold of al-Qaida and other militants.

Commander warns against collateral damage as Pakistan expands fight against Taliban

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s military chief denounced terrorists as enemies of the country and Islam, but warned his officers to avoid killing civilians as they widen their operations against the Taliban.

Pentagon struggling with public release of report on controversial bombing in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is delaying release of its investigation into air strikes last month that killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan, debating whether any more information on the incident should be made public.

New US general to take over Afghanistan command

KABUL — Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a four-star American general with a long history in special operations, was to take charge of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan on Monday, a change of command the Pentagon hopes will turn the tide in the eight-year war.