Norwegian soldier killed in Afghan explosion (Roundup)

Apr 17, 2009, 13:21 GMT

   Kabul - A Norwegian officer was killed and another was wounded Friday in an explosion in northern Afghanistan, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibly for the attack.

   The Norwegian military said the officer, who was serving in NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Balkh province, but Afghan officials said the blast was triggered by a suicide car bomb.

   The officer was flown by helicopter to the German field hospital in Mazar-e Sharif, where he was pronounced dead, the Norwegian military in Olso said.

   Abdul Raouf Taj, deputy provincial police chief for Balkh, said a bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle attacked the convoy in the Takht Pul area.

   Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for Taliban militants, identified the bomber as Abdul Based, a resident of the southern province and Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.

   Mujahid claimed that 10 NATO soldiers were killed in the blast and three tanks were destroyed.

   Norwegian Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen told reporters the vehicle hit by the bomb was not armoured.

   Norway has deployed 585 troops as part of the nearly 60,000-strong, NATO-commanded International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

   The ISAF in Kabul also confirmed in a statement that one of its soldiers was killed in a roadside bomb blast in northern Afghanistan.

   The peaceful northern region of Afghanistan is under the command of German forces, who are part of the ISAF. Currently, 3,800 German forces are stationed in the region while Berlin announced the deployment of 600 additional soldiers to be sent to country before the presidential election in August.

   Meanwhile, Afghan and US-led coalition forces killed six suspected militants in an operation Thursday night in Kandahar's Maiwand district, the US military said in a statement.

   Five other militants were detained by joint Afghan-international forces in separate operations in Logar, Nangahar and Paktia provinces Thursday, the military said.