One coalition soldier killed, four injured in Afghan attacks

Kabul - A soldier was killed by an explosive device in Afghanistan Saturday while at least four other international troops were injured in two separate attacks on Sunday, military sources reported. Additionally, an operation by US-lead coalition forces killed 30 Taliban insurgents Saturday night in the latest violence in Afghanistan. A statement from military forces reported that a soldier from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed Saturday when a patrol struck an explosive device in southern Afghanistan. Although thee nationality of the soldier and location of the incident were not disclosed, he was believed to be British. The Defence Ministry said in London that a British soldier was killed by an explosive device Saturday in the southern province of Helmand. Additionally, two US service members were wounded in western Afghanistan and evacuated for medical treatment after their convoy was the subject of an attempted suicide bombing early Sunday morning in Herat. A German military spokesman also reported that at least two German soldiers were wounded when their convoy was attacked Sunday morning near the northern Afghan city of Baghlan. The spokesman said one soldier sustained light injuries and another sustained heavy injuries, but that none of the injuries were life threatening. Meanwhile, Afghan and coalition forces Saturday night killed 30 militants in the Nahr Surkh District of Helmand province. A military statement said the Afghan and coalition forces were conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol when they positively identified militants operating in the area. 'The combined forces engaged the militants with small-arms fire, mounted weapons and supporting fire, killing 30 militants and destroying two militant vehicles,' the statement said. The statement reported no civilian casualties in the incident, nor any for the Afghan or coalition forces.