Germany holds a memorial ceremony for its soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Thousands of Germans including Chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials have attended a funeral service for four German soldiers killed by Taliban militants in Afghanistan 9 days ago. Seven German soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan in April alone, bringing the death toll to 43 since the mission began in 2001. Public support for the German deployment in Afghanistan has declined in recent months, in the face of a rising death toll and the killing of Afghan civilians.