A French soldier has been killed after coming under fire by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan. President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said that the soldier died Friday after insurgents fired on troops involved in a reconnaissance mission in the Alasay valley in Kapisa province, northeast of the capital, Kabul, according to AP. Sarkozy added that France remains undaunted in its role to help stabilize Afghanistan. About 3,850 French troops are now deployed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission in the country. The Defense Ministry says 51 French troops have died in Afghanistan since 2001. French forces are deployed mainly in Kapisa and the Surobi district north and east of Kabul.
