"Five International Security Assistance Force service members died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today," an ISAF statement said, without giving any further details in line with policy.

Single bomb attacks killing as many as five foreign soldiers are relatively infrequent in Afghanistan. An ISAF spokesman declined to give further details when questioned by AFP.

The deaths come a week after the Taliban shot down a US helicopter, killing 30 Americans in the biggest single loss of US life in the 10-year war.

However, the Taliban still frequently target foreign forces with crudely-assembled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which frequently strike troops on foot patrol or travelling in armoured vehicles.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011