Bomb blast kills 4 NATO troops in eastern Afghanistan

Bomb blast kills 4 NATO troops in eastern Afghanistan

2011-05-23 19:28:23 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- A bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan on Monday killed four coalition service members, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed.

ISAF said four of its service members were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in eastern Afghanistan, but provided no other details. The nationalities of the service members were 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, nearly 190 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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