A Danish soldier was killed and an Afghan interpreter lightly wounded when a home-made bomb exploded during a NATO operation in southern Afghanistan, Denmark's defense ministry said Sunday.
The two men were evacuated by helicopter to a military hospital following the explosion in Helmand province which took place late Saturday, the ministry said in a statement.
The soldier "was declared dead," on arrival, bringing to 39 the number of Danish soldiers killed since the country deployed troops to Afghanistan in 2002, the ministry said.
More than 640 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, according to an AFP count based on the independent icasualties.org website, which tracks coalition fatalities and injuries.
That compares with 521 killed in 2009, in what was previously the deadliest year on record for the forces in Afghanistan.
There are some 750 Danish troops in NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Most are in Helmand province under British command.
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