US General David Petraeus has formally taken command of the 130,000-strong international force battling insurgents in Afghanistan.
He takes over as the Taliban are increasing their campaign against his forces.
The BBC reports that June was the deadliest month for foreign troops since 2001, with 102 killed.
General Petraeus will oversee an escalation of operations against the Taliban in Kandahar province, which has now been postponed until September.
