USA Today is reporting U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan are encountering the fiercest fighting they’ve seen since the launch of the U.S. invasion in 2001. 87 troops have been killed this year so far, nearly half the total killed since the war began. The fighting is calling into question plans to phase out the 18,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan with NATO-led forces. On Wednesday, Afghanistan’s Defense Minister told the Associated Press insurgent attacks have begun to resemble tactics seen in Iraq. Three suicide bombings hit the capital of Kabul this week, killing 10 people, including a U.S. soldier.