The NATO force announced meanwhile that one of its troops was killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan on Saturday. The 40-nation International Security Assistance Force did not release the nationality of the trooper or say where the blast had occurred.
The latest fatality means 261 international troops have lost their lives this year in the effort to help the government fight an insurgency led by the Taliban, the Web site icasualties.org said.
Most were in attacks, although the figure included accidents and other causes of death. The figure compared to 232 for the whole of last year.
Troops meanwhile killed five militants in an operation on Saturday aimed at al-Qaeda in the eastern province of Paktia on the border with Pakistan, the US military said.
The troops also detained a “significant al-Qaeda associated militant known to finance militant operations and to assist Taliban leaders with the movement and training of Arab and foreign fighters into Afghanistan,” it said.
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