French soldier killed in Afghan mine blast

PARIS (Reuters) - A French soldier was killed and another seriously wounded by a mine in Afghanistan on Saturday, the French military said.

The mine exploded as the soldiers were on patrol with Afghan troops southwest of Afghanistan's capital Kabul, said armed forces spokesman Christophe Prazuck.

The incident happened three months after Taliban fighters killed 10 French troops and wounded 21 others in a major battle near Kabul in the biggest single loss of foreign troops in combat there since 2001.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy dispatched additional soldiers to Afghanistan following the August killings and on Saturday he condemned the latest violence.

"The head of state once again condemns the cowardly and barbaric tactics of the enemies of peace in Afghanistan and reaffirms his determination to fight terrorism," his office said in a statement.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Louise Ireland)