AT LEAST TWO INTERNATIONAL SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SEPARATE VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN, OFFICIALS SAID SUNDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. THE TWO TROOPS KILLED WERE A SPANISH SOLDIER ATTACHED TO THE NATO- LED INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF)FORCE, AND A SOLDIER BELONGING TO THE US-LED COALITION IN THE COUNTRY. COALITION FORCES ALSO SAID SIX TALIBAN LOYALISTS WERE KILLED IN FIGHTING IN THE RESTIVE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. THE SPANISH SOLDIER DIED SATURDAY AFTER THE VEHICLE IN WHICH HE WAS TRAVELLING WAS TARGETED BY A ROADSIDE BOMB IN WESTERN FARAH PROVINCE, OFFICIALS IN KABUL SAID. FOUR OTHERS WERE WOUNDED IN THE ATTACK. IN MADRID, SPANISH DEFENCE MINISTER JOSE ANTONIO ALONSO SAID THE EXPLOSION WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A FOUR-KILO MINE ACTIVATED BY INSURGENTS BY REMOTE CONTROL. HE SAID THE INVESTIGATION WAS CONTINUING, ADDING THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT INFLUENCE SPAIN'S PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN. WESTERN PROVINCES OF THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN LESS PLAGUED BY TALIBAN-LED INSURGENCY COMPARED TO THE COUNTRY'S SOUTH AND EAST. "FIVE ISAF TROOPS WERE INJURED WHEN AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DETONATED NEAR THEIR PATROL," THE ISAF SAID IN A STATEMENT IN KABUL. "ONE OF THE SOLDIERS SUBSEQUENTLY DIED FROM THE INJURIES SUFFERED." THE COALITION STATEMENT DID NOT IDENTIFY THE NATIONALITY OF THE SOLDIERS, BUT THE SPANISH DEFENCE MINISTRY IDENTIFIED THE FATALITY AS PARATROOPER JORGE ARNALDO HERNANDEZ, WHO WAS OF PERUVIAN ORIGIN. THE OTHERS WERE REPORTED SLIGHTLY INJURED.
