2 NATO soldiers killed in blast in southern Afghanistan

2 NATO soldiers killed in blast in S. Afghanistan

Two NATO soldiers were killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan's restive southern region on Thursday.

"Two International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members died following an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in southern Afghanistan today," the NATO-led ISAF said in a statement.

However, the brief statement did not provide details and the nationalities of the victims, saying "it is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."

Troops mainly from the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia have been stationed in southern Afghanistan known as Taliban hotbed.

Thursday's casualties brought to six the number of ISAF soldiers killed in Afghanistan in two days. Four foreign soldiers were killed in two separate IED blasts in southern Afghanistan and an insurgent attack in eastern region on Wednesday.

Over 520 foreign soldiers, most of them Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year.

Thursday's attack came a day after the four-day traditional Loya Jirga or grand assembly of tribal elders, lawmakers and government functionaries opened in the capital city of Kabul.

With over 2,300 participants, the assembly convened to discuss the proposed strategic partnership with the U.S. as well as government-initiated peace talks with the Taliban in the militancy- plagued country.

English.news.cn   2011-11-17 18:49:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
KABUL, Nov. 17 (Xinhua)