Mon Jan 3, 2011, 8:23 pm ET
(RTTNews) -

A soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been killed in a explosion in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said in a statement.

"An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan," the ISAF statement said, adding that the solider was killed Sunday.

The ISAF, however, did not release the nationality of the dead soldier in accordance with its policy of not disclosing details until the home country of the deceased soldiers does so.

Another soldier was also killed on Sunday, taking the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan since the new year to three. Two ISAF service members were killed in rebel attacks in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, including a British soldier.

Currently, there are over 150,000 foreign troops from more than 42 countries in Afghanistan. The foreign coalition under the command of NATO and the United States, along with their Afghan counterparts, are presently trying to contain a resurgent Taliban insurgency in the war-torn country.

The U.S. and its allies are also making efforts to get the Afghan security forces ready and capable of handling local security before the coalition troops eventually leave the country. They believe a strong Afghan military is essential to fill the void.

2010 was the deadliest year for the foreign coalition force in Afghanistan since 2001, with more than 700 deaths. The previous worst in the nine-year-long war was 2009, when 521 foreign troops were killed.

Police: Bomb kills civilian in west Afghanistan

AP, Mon Jan 3, 1:23 am ET

KABUL, Afghanistan –

A police official in the western Afghan province of Herat says a bomb planted outside a butcher shop has killed a civilian.

Noor Khan Nekzad, the spokesman for the provincial police chief, said the bomb, believed to be set on a timer, exploded at 8 a.m. on Monday in the city of Herat. Nekzad said four other civilians were wounded.

He said the butcher supplied meat to the Afghan army, and the bomb apparently targeted security forces.

The Taliban have expanded their attacks from their traditional southern strongholds to regions throughout the country, including areas that had been relatively calm.