KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug 19, SPA -- A NATO soldier was killedescorting a convoy in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, whilefour Afghan security guards died in a suicide attack. NATO did not disclose the soldier's nationality or theexact location of the incident. A Taliban insurgency is raging in Afghanistan's south andattacks on supply convoys are near-daily occurrences. Meanwhile, a suicide bomber blew himself up next tomembers of a private security company providing protectionfor a road construction company Saturday in southernHelmand province's Lashkar Gah district. Four guards werekilled and three others wounded, said provincial policechief Mohammad Hussein. Violence has risen sharply during the last two months inAfghanistan. This year more than 3,700 people _ most ofthem militants _ have died, according to an AssociatedPress tally of casualty figures provided by Western andAfghan officials.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/475932