French soldier killed in Afghanistan

A French soldier has been killed and four have been wounded in Afghanistan during a military operation in Kapisa province, north of Kabul, the French Presidency has informed. Their armoured vehicle, in a convoy of four vehicles, was blown up by an improvised explosive device in the Tagab region, the Elysee Palace has said in a statement. The defense ministry informed that wounded soldiers were immediately evacuated to Kabul military hospital by helicopter. The death of the corporal from the 19th engineering regiment brings to 73 the number of French troops, who have died in Afghanistan since the end of 2001, 21 of them this year alone.