Official: At least six Italian soldiers killed in Kabul attack

Sep 17, 2009, 10:19 GMT

Rome - Six Italian soldiers were killed and four injured Thursday in a suicide attack against two Italian military vehicles in the Afghan capital Kabul, Italy's Defence Minster told parliament.

The two Italian armoured cars carrying a total of 10 paratroopers were travelling on a road connecting Kabul to the city's airport when they were rammed by a vehicle, 'apparently packed with explosives,' Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said.

The total number of people killed or injured in the attack, including possibly Afghan civilians, was not immediately clear, La Russa told parliament's lower-house Chamber of Deputies in Rome.

'The message to the vile and cowardly aggressors' is that Italy's military mission in Afghanistan would continue in line with international commitments, La Russa said.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in a statement expressed his condolences for the victims and solidarity with Italian soldiers deployed in the country 'to support democracy and freedom'.

Thursday's attack brings to 21 the number of Italian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since Italy began deploying troops in 2001 in the wake of the US-led invasion of the country that toppled the Taliban regime.

Some 2,800 Italian troops are deployed in the country.

Leaders of Berlusconi's junior partner in government, the Northern League party have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Italian troops in Afghanistan.

However, Berlusconi has assured US President Barack Obama of Italy's commitment to the West's military mission in Afghanistan where US troops have been involved in most of the fighting and have suffered the greatest losses.