Two French occupation soldiers were shot dead on Thursday by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform, taking to 78 the number of French troops killed in the war-torn country since the 2001 US-led invasion.

Two French occupation soldiers were shot dead on Thursday by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform, taking to 78 the number of French troops killed in the war-torn country since the 2001 US-led invasion.

"During a support mission with the Afghan National Army (ANA) in the Tagab valley, the two non-commissioned officers were mortally wounded by deliberate fire from an Afghan soldier”, the French presidency said in statement.

In the statement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed "France's determination to continue working within the International Security Assistance Force to re-establish peace and stability" in Afghanistan.

French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said the incident would not affect France's cooperation with the ANA.
"This isolated incident does not in any way call into question the transition process aimed at handing over security responsibilities to the Afghan National Army," he said.

The two deaths brought to 78 the number of French soldiers killed in Afghanistan since French forces deployed there at the end of 2001. This year has been the bloodiest so far, with 26 killed.
France has about 3,700 soldiers serving in the country, mainly in the provinces of Kabul and Kapisa.