An explosive device killed an Italian soldier and wounded another as their vehicle was passing in western Afghanistan Saturday, the defence ministry and military command said.

The dead soldier, named as corporal Gaetano Tuccillo, was driving the armoured vehicle in Farah province, a few kilometres from the town of Bakwa on the way back from a reconnaissance mission with the Afghan army.

His companion was wounded in the leg and evacuated by helicopter to a US military hospital, but his life was not in danger.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi paid tribute to the dead soldier, saying he had been "engaged in a mission for the freedom and democracy of a people."

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini vowed that Rome would "finish the job" of ensuring security so that Afghanistan could move to democracy.

Defence Minister Iganzio La Russa warned that with some countries about to withdraw part of their troops, "the dangers are not lessening, they could even increase.

"But the general situation allows us to be optimistic over the timetable we have fixed for handing over military as well as political responsibilities to the Afghans."

The Italian contingent in the international forces in Afghanistan, 3,800 strong, is in charge in the western region, including the city of Herat.

The death was the first this month among the foreign troops in Afghanistan, following a higher than average toll in June, when 65 were killed out of 283 since the beginning of the year, including an Italian officer.

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