US-led soldier killed in Afghanistan

Clashes in southern Afghanistan claim the life of another foreign soldier, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force says in a statement.

The western alliance said on Sunday that the soldier was killed in fighting with militants, AFP reported.

The statement did not mention the soldier’s nationality, in keeping with ISAF policy.

Attacks against 130,000 US-led troops in Afghanistan have been on the rise. Washington plans to deploy 30,000 additional troops by August.

According to official announcements, 2009 was the deadliest year for foreign troops with a total of 520 US-led soldiers killed in action.

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan was launched with the official objective of curbing militancy. Nine years on, however, Afghanistan remains unstable and insecure.