Insurgent attacks kill four NATO troops in eastern Afghanistan

Insurgent attacks kill four NATO troops in eastern Afghanistan

2011-07-05 16:21:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- A roadside bomb exploded in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, killing three coalition service members, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. A fourth service member died as a result of a separate attack.

ISAF said three of its service members were killed on Tuesday as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in eastern Afghanistan. Another service member died as a result of a separate insurgent attack, also in the country's east.

As usual, the multinational force gave no other details about the incidents, including the exact locations and the nationalities of those killed. "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 289 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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