Kabul (ANTARA News/AFP) - Three soldiers from the international military force in Afghanistan were killed in the country`s east on Friday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

The deaths came two days before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, which prompted the invasion of Afghanistan a month later.

"Three International Security Assistance Force service members died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today," the coalition said, without giving any further details in line with policy.

There are around 140,000 international troops in Afghanistan battling a Taliban-led insurgency, around 100,000 of them from the United States. All foreign combat forces are due to leave by the end of 2014.

The latest deaths take to at least 428 the number of coalition military personnel who have died this year, according to a tally based on that kept by the independent website iCasualties.org. A total of 711 died last year.

Eastern Afghanistan is a highly volatile part of the troubled country, particularly areas which border Pakistan where insurgents have hideouts. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011