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Elite German soldier killed in Afghanistan

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Elite German soldier killed in Afghanistan
Photo:DPA

A German soldier from the KSK elite military unit was killed and another wounded in an attack by insurgents in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. It's the first time a member of the special forces anti-terror KSK unit has been killed.

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German special forces had been supporting an Afghan operation near the northern city of Baghlan when insurgents opened fire on the Afghan and NATO International Security Assistance Force troops, according to an army statement posted on its Internet site Sunday.

"In the subsequent battle damage assessment the Afghan and ISAF forces again came under fire. A German soldier was killed and a German soldier wounded," it said.

It added that no information was available about losses among the Afghan forces but said "presumably" several insurgents had been killed.

No civilians were hurt according to the latest information, it said.

Seven US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Saturday; five in a bomb explosion in the south of the country while two were shot by an Afghan comrade, making Saturday the deadliest day for ISAF since the beginning of this year.

Germany now has the third-biggest foreign troop deployment in Afghanistan

after the United States and Britain, but has drawn down numbers from more than

5,000 to 4,200 now.

In Nuremberg, where the FDP party is holding its conference, a minute's silence was observed in the soldier's honour. Party leader Philipp Rösler said "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and comrades."

AFP/DPA/The Local/kkf

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