KABUL, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed in the militancy-ridden Afghanistan on Saturday, a press release of the alliance said.

    "An ISAF service member was killed this afternoon in an IED (Improvised Explosive Devise) strike in southern Afghanistan," the press released added.

    However, it did not say the exact place of the incident.

    Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces in south Afghanistan commonly known as the hotbed of Taliban militants have been the scene of increasing insurgency over the past couple of years.

    NATO-led forces casualties had been registered 512 in 2009, according to reports, while militancy is predicted to increase this year.