Georgian soldiers killed in Afghanistan attack

Three Georgian soldiers serving with NATO-led forces in Afghanistan were killed Monday in an insurgent attack.

Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said the soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber drove a truck carrying explosives into their base in Helmand province.

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"A combined insurgent attack took place at the base, using an explosive device that was loaded on a truck, driven by a suicide bomber," Alasania told a special press briefing in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. "The Georgian soldiers repelled the attack, all terrorists were killed on the spot and, at this moment, they are in full control of the operational situation in the zone that falls under their responsibility."

There are 1,570 Georgian troops serving in Helmand province, and Alasania said Monday's attack was the "largest" so far carried out against the country's soldiers in Afghanistan.

At least 19 Georgian soldiers have been killed while serving in Afghanistan so far, where there are currently around 100,000 US-led NATO troops fighting a Taliban-led insurgency.