4 French troops killed in Afghanistan

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France has 3,500 soldiers serving in Afghanistan. [AFP: File]

Last Updated: Sat, 9 Jun 2012 19:56:00 +1000

Officials in Afghanistan say at least four French soldiers have been killed in a suicide attack in eastern Afghanistan.

The International Security Assistance Force did not disclose the nationalities of the soldiers targeted in Kapisa province, but local officials told AFP new agency the attack was against French troops.

An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman says at least three civilians have been injured in the blast.

Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for the attack.

France has 3,500 soldiers in Afghanistan, mostly stationed in Kapisa.

The latest deaths bring the number of French soldiers killed in Afghanistan to 87.

France's President Francois Hollande plans to withdraw French combat troops by the end of 2012, a year earlier than Paris initially planned, and two years before NATO allies.