Kabul - A soldier of the US-led coalition was killed in eastern Afghanistan, while international forces arrested three suspected insurgents elsewhere, the military said Friday.

The soldier was killed by small arms fire on Friday in the eastern region, US military said in a statement, but did not say if the firefight was with Taliban militants.

The dead soldier was not identified in the statement. Most of the soldiers who serve under the command of coalition forces are from the US.

More than 1,000 international soldiers have been killed in and around Afghanistan since the ouster of Taliban regime in late 2001.

This year with more than 200 foreign soldiers dead in country has been the deadliest year for international forces since then.

Meanwhile, Afghan and coalition forces detained three suspected Taliban militants in two operations in southern Zabul and eastern Khost provinces on Thursday, a separate US military statement said.

More than 4,000 people - mostly insurgents - have been killed in Afghanistan conflict so far this year. (dpa)