Georgia says at least 6 of its soldiers killed, 9 wounded in Afghan attack

TBILISI, Georgia – Georgia’s Defence Ministry says at least six Georgian soldiers have been killed in an attack by insurgents in Afghanistan.

Ministry spokesman Irakli Dzneladze says nine other soldiers were wounded in Thursday’s attack.

The attack comes as international troops stationed in the country are transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces in preparation for a withdrawal of combat forces by the end of 2014.

Last month, three Georgian soldiers were killed and several others wounded in a suicide attack involving a vehicle packed with explosives at their base in Helmand Province.

Georgia, a former Soviet republic with aspirations of joining NATO, has 1,545 troops currently serving in Afghanistan.