Bomb blasts kill two coalition troops in eastern Afghanistan

Bomb blasts kill two coalition troops in eastern Afghanistan

2011-05-11 05:16:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- Two coalition service members were killed in two separate attacks in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed on Wednesday.

ISAF said the service members were killed as a result of two separate improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in eastern Afghanistan, without giving other details.

France's presidential palace, Elysee, confirmed one of the casualties was a French soldier from the 13th Engineer Regiment. He was on a reconnaissance mission in Kapisa province when he was killed by the explosion.

"The head of state has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones and shares in their grief," Elysee said in a statement. "[The President] reaffirms its support for the Afghan people and the Afghan authorities."

The nationality of the other service member was not immediately disclosed. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," a brief statement from ISAF 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, more than 165 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.

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