KABUL, June 30 (Xinhua) -- One soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed and another one injured by militants in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, an ISAF statement said.

    The casualties occurred during an operation against Taliban extremists, said the statement, which did not mention which province the incident occurred.

    In accordance with NATO policy, ISAF does not release a casualty's nationality prior to the relevant national authority doing so.

    About 37,000 ISAF and 13,000 U.S.-led coalition troops are operating in this country to hunt down militants and keep security.

    Over 80 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year due to rising Taliban insurgency. ¡¡