The French government says an Afghan soldier has shot and killed two members of the French Foreign Legion in eastern Afghanistan.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said a soldier in the Afghan National Army opened fire on the troops Thursday in the Tagab Valley of Kapisa province.

NATO issued a statement earlier saying a man wearing an Afghan National Army uniform killed two coalition service members in the country's east, but did not give details.

At least 78 French troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the conflict in 2001, with 26 soldiers killed this year alone. President Sarkozy on Thursday expressed his country's commitment to the NATO-led force in Afghanistan.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack, the latest in a series of similar incidents. Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told news agencies that a man named Ibrahim opened fire on the French troops and was subsequently killed by other troops.

The insurgent group also said it was behind a roadside bombing that killed 10 Afghan police officers in southern Afghanistan on Thursday.

Provincial officials say the police had just left a training center and were headed home when their vehicle hit a landmine in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province.

New police recruits were among those killed. One police officer was wounded in the attack.