At least 711 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year. -AP File Photo

KABUL: Two Nato soldiers were killed Friday in separate rebel attacks in southern and western Afghanistan on the last day of 2010, NATO said, taking the death toll for foreign forces to at least 711 for the year.

An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service member “died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today,” ISAF said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the force said that another soldier “died following an insurgent attack in western Afghanistan today”.

It would not give further details of the incidents in which the soldiers were killed and would not reveal their nationalities, in line with its policy.

At least 711 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year, according to an AFP tally based on that kept by independent website iCasualties.org

2010 has been by far the bloodiest year for foreign forces in the nine-year battle against the Taliban. In 2009, 521 of them died in the country.

Around 140,000 foreign troops, most of the from the US are in Afghanistan to support the government of Hamid Karzai.

Opinion

Editorial

When medicine fails
Updated 18 Nov, 2024

When medicine fails

Between now and 2050, medical experts expect antibiotic resistance to kill 40m people worldwide.
Nawaz on India
Updated 18 Nov, 2024

Nawaz on India

Nawaz Sharif’s hopes of better ties with India can only be realised when New Delhi responds to Pakistan positively.
State of abuse
18 Nov, 2024

State of abuse

The state must accept that crimes against children have become endemic in the country.
Football elections
17 Nov, 2024

Football elections

PAKISTAN football enters the most crucial juncture of its ‘normalisation’ era next week, when an Extraordinary...
IMF’s concern
17 Nov, 2024

IMF’s concern

ON Friday, the IMF team wrapped up its weeklong unscheduled talks on the Fund’s ongoing $7bn programme with the...
‘Un-Islamic’ VPNs
Updated 17 Nov, 2024

‘Un-Islamic’ VPNs

If curbing pornography is really the country’s foremost concern while it stumbles from one crisis to the next, there must be better ways to do so.