Two Nato soldiers die in Afghan violence
A soldier serving with the Nato-led force in Afghanistan was killed in a clash in the south of the country today, while a mine blast killed a Spanish female soldier in the west, officials said.
The alliance did not disclose the nationality of the soldier killed in the country’s south, but most of the troops in that area are British and Canadian.
Southern Afghanistan is at the centre of the growing Taliban insurgency, which in 2006 left some 4,000 people dead. Officials have warned of an increase in the insurgent activity as the weather improves.
An attack on a Spanish military convoy in the western town of Shindand killed a female soldier and wounded two other troops, the Spanish defence ministry said.
The attack appears to have been carried out with a powerful mine, the ministry said.
The soldiers were travelling in one of five armoured vehicles supporting Italian forces that are training in Afghanistan, statement said.
The two male soldiers hurt in the blast were expected to survive, it added.
Spain has about 600 peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan.
At a meeting of Nato defence ministers last week in Seville, Spain was among countries that rejected a request from the alliance to send more.
