Third NATO soldier dies in 24 hours

NATO announced Sunday that another foreign soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, where foreign forces have launched a major offensive against the Taliban.

The soldier lost his life to a makeshift bomb in southern Afghanistan, becoming the third service member to be killed in the war-torn country since Saturday.

According to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) two other soldiers were killed on Saturday, one in the country’s east and the other in the south.

However, neither of the service members killed were involved in ‘Operation Moshtarak’ — allegedly the biggest anti-Taliban offensive since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

The latest fatalities bring the number of foreign troops reported killed to 25 since the February 13 launch of ‘Operation Moshtarak’ (Together) against militants in the Marjah and Nad Ali areas of the southern Helmand Province.

Half of them have been killed as a direct result of the operation, which is aimed at ridding Helmand of militants.

ISAF did not give the nationality of any of the soldiers.