Son of Dutch military chief killed in combat

The son of the new chief of the Dutch military and another Dutch soldier serving with NATO-led forces were killed in an explosion in Afghanistan on Friday.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurred at a time of rising violence following a traditional winter lull in fighting.

The Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement there were no indications that the attack was specifically targeted at the 23-year-old son of chief of joint staffs Peter van Uhm, who took over command of the Dutch military on Thursday.