The Poles last lost a soldier on October 4 when a roadside bomb hit another patrol in Ghazni, marking Poland's 30th fatality in Afghanistan. - File Photo

WARSAW: A roadside bomb killed a Polish soldier on patrol in Afghanistan, the defence ministry said Monday, taking to 31 his country's death toll there.

Private 1st Class Mariusz Deptula was fatally wounded late Sunday when his unit's vehicle went over an improvised explosive device in the central province of Ghazni.

He died in a field hospital at the Poles' base.

Another soldier in the vehicle was seriously wounded, but his life was not in danger, the ministry said.

The Poles last lost a soldier on October 4 when a roadside bomb hit another patrol in Ghazni, marking Poland's 30th fatality in Afghanistan.

The Poles are responsible for security in Ghazni as part of Nato's International Security Assistance Force which is helping the Afghan government tackle a Taliban-led insurgency.

With some 2,600 troops deployed in Afghanistan, Poland is among the top contributors to ISAF.

It first sent forces there in March 2002, shortly after the United States and anti-Taliban Afghan fighters ousted the hardline Taliban regime.

There are 140,000 foreign forces in Afghanistan. The vast majorities, or some 100,000, are from the United States.

All combat troops are due to leave by the end of 2014 although thousands are expected to remain in training and mentoring roles.

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