(Xinhua) -- Three Italian soldiers were injured in a roadside bomb attack near the Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, according to Italian Defense Ministry. Two of the soldiers suffered only minor injuries, while the third was said to have suffered a more serious but non life-threatening wound. The attack took place in the early hours of Thursday in the district of Mushai, some 30 km from Kabul, where similar attacks have been carried out against Italian forces. At the time of the attack, the three soldiers were on their way to Qal-et-Tanan village on a veterinary mission.
In order to combat extremist violence, Italian forces in the region have been engaged in humanitarian operations, including veterinary ones, to win over the local population and their tribal leaders.
Italy has almost 2,700 soldiers in Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Most of them are stationed in the western part of the country, where Italy commands the ISAF contingent. Italy, which is responsible for the ISAF force in the regions around Kabul, is the fourth-biggest contributor to the NATO mission in Afghanistan.