British soldier, 2 dozen more killed in Afghanistan

A British soldier was among more than two dozen people killed in a surge of attacks in Afghanistan, authorities said Friday, with violence at record levels two months ahead of presidential elections.
The new bloodshed was announced as General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, warned Thursday of more "tough months" ahead in the battle against extremist insurgents here.
The British soldier, serving in Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), was killed in a bomb attack near the southern city of Kandahar on Thursday, the British defence ministry said.
A similar bomb blast killed three Afghan soldiers Friday in the eastern province of Paktika, the provincial government said.
Late Thursday, meanwhile, insurgents attacked a police post in southern Helmand province, kicking off heavy fighting, the interior ministry said.