Roadside bomb kills NATO soldier in southern Afghanistan

[News_Editor]

Roadside bomb kills NATO soldier in southern Afghanistan

2011-06-15 17:59:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- A coalition service member was killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

ISAF said one of its service members was killed in southern Afghanistan as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack, but provided no other details. The nationality of the service member was also not immediately disclosed. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," a brief statement said.

Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years, with a total coalition death toll of 709 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

So far this year, at least 243 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Most troops are killed in the country's south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians. Most of the casualties are American.

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