Afghan bombing kills French troops

Five French soldiers and an Afghan civilian have been killed in a bombing in Afghanistan’s eastern Kapisa province.

Four other French soldiers and three other Afghan civilians were seriously injured in today’s attack.

The French troops had been guarding a meeting of local leaders in the village of Joybar when a terrorist detonated a bomb nearby.

A day earlier, French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced the pullout by the end of next year of a quarter of the 4,000 French troops taking part in the Nato-led operation in Afghanistan.