The soldier came under attack during a joint patrol with Afghan forces in the Murghab valley in the northwestern Badghis province, the Italian military said.
Two soldiers were also injured in the assault, one of them seriously.
A total of 41 Italian soldiers have been killed in military operations since the beginning of the conflict.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi paid tribute to the paratrooper "and all our soldiers engaged in peace operations against terrorism."
Italy plans to reduce the number of its troops in Afghanistan from 2012.
Rome has 3,800 deployed as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) made up of 130,000 troops.
(Uu.B002)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
