The alliance's secretary-general said the attack late Sunday on a convoy of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops "was an appalling act of senseless violence".

One Norwegian soldier was killed in the rocket attack on the convoy as it patrolled along Jalalabad road, the main highway leading into Kabul from the east, and another Norwegian soldier was slightly wounded, ISAF said.

De Hoop Scheffer expressed his condolences to the family of the dead peacekeeper and said his thoughts were with the wounded soldier.

"NATO soldiers are in Afghanistan as part of the contribution of the international community to help restore peace after a long period of brutal ruling and conflict," he said in a statement.

"Attacks of this sort will not deter us from our commitment to help the Afghan people to build a safer country and a better future."

Most of the 6,500-strong multinational NATO-led force is deployed in the Afghan capital, with a small German contingent stationed at Kunduz in the northeast.

WAR.WIRE