A NATO soldier has been killed in an IED (improvised explosive device) attack in Afghanistan's east, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday.
It said the incident occurred on Friday but not mentioned where exactly it happened. ISAF also did not identify the deceased soldier or reveal his nationality in accordance with its policy of leaving casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.
According to ICasualties.org, an independent website that monitors military casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, the latest death brought to 22 the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year.
IEDs continue to be the biggest threat to foreign forces in Afghanistan. Of late, roadside bombings using IEDs have become a hallmark of Taliban strategy against NATO forces, as it avoids direct confrontation with the foreign troops while increasing casualties.
The latest ISAF casualty occurred just days after NATO and the Afghan government reached a deal on the withdrawal of U.S. Special Forces from the strategically important Wardak province as ordered by President Hamid Karzai last month.
Karzai issued the orders following allegations that some members of the Afghan forces working with the elite American unit were involved in the torture and disappearance of local civilians.
Currently, the U.S. and other allied nations involved in the Afghan military mission are making serious efforts to get the Afghan security forces ready and capable of handling the country's security before the planned withdrawal of coalition troops by the end of 2014.
ISAF has already begun the process of entrusting security responsibilities of several provinces to Afghan forces. However, there are wide concerns about the ability of Afghan security forces to counter Taliban insurgency without the same level of foreign military assistance and presence.
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