The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan said on Thursday that one of its soldiers died of injuries sustained in an IED (improvised explosive device) attack by insurgents in the country's south.
"An International Security Assistance Force service-member died yesterday following the IED attack in southern Afghanistan that killed three ISAF service-members. The fourth service member died as a result of circumstances surrounding the same incident," the coalition force said in a statement.
The statement said an "assessment" was in progress to determine the exact cause of death, but it did not identify the deceased soldier or reveal his nationality in accordance with its policy of leaving casualty identification to the relevant national authorities.
Although ISAF did not say where Monday's deadly incident took place, media reports indicated that it occurred in the Zhare district of Kandahar province. They also said that the attack targeted U.S. troops stationed in the region.
According to ICasualties.org, an independent website that monitors military casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, the latest death brought to 63 the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year, with U.S. troops topping the list with 50 deaths.
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. Also, most of the recent ISAF casualties have been in southern Afghanistan, where the foreign coalition force is trying to retain control over territories captured from Taliban militants over the past two years.
Currently, there are over 100,000 foreign troops from more than 48 countries in Afghanistan to contain a resurgent Taliban in the war-ravaged South Asian country. The U.S. continues to be the single biggest contributor to the ISAF, with 68,000 soldiers on the ground.
The U.S. and other allied nations involved in the Afghan mission are currently making serious efforts to get Afghan security forces ready and capable of handling the country's security before the planned withdrawal of coalition troops by end 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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