i'm ross mihara in tokyo with the stories at this hour. this year has been the deadliest for afghan civilians since u.s. led military operations began in the country in 2001. on thursday the death toll rose further with a roadside blast killing 14. a mini bus carrying local residents was struck by a bomb in the southern province of helmand. the provincial government said the 14 included women and children. four others were wounded. about two weeks ago a similar roadside explosion took place in the western province of hedat and also killed 14 locals. the united nations says more than 2400 civilians were killed in fighting and terrorist attacks in the first ten months of 2010. the figure is equivalent to the entire 2009 total. as of late, more civilians have been falling victim to explosives that are set up by the taliban and then for u.s. international and local security forces. >>> an international nongovernmental organization says the death toll for iraqi civilians was nearly 4,000 this year. it's a reminder that more than ten civilians a