| First
Australian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan SYDNEY, Australia, 16 feb 02 (Reuters)-- Australia suffered its first fatality in Afghanistan (news - web sites) when a land mine explosion killed a special forces soldier overnight, Defense Minister Robert Hill said on Sunday. Hill said the unnamed soldier, a member of the Special Air Service (SAS), died from wounds he received when he drove over a suspected anti- vehicle mine in southern Afghanistan. "I would like to express my deepest sympathies and the sympathies of the Australian government to the deceased soldier's family," Hill said in a statement. "This soldier has given his life in the service of his country as part of the global effort to make the world a safer place from the threat of terrorism." Australian forces suffered their first casualty in Afghanistan in January when a mine blast wounded another special forces soldier on patrol near Kandahar in the country's south. Australia has 150 SAS soldiers in the region as part of its contribution to the U.S.-led operation in Afghanistan following the September 11 hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington. Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
| FREE EMAIL CAMPAIGN UPDATES |
|
| Please enter your email address and click "Go" | |
|
| SEARCH OUR SITE |
| For more information on the Mine
Ban Treaty and countries that have ratified it, contact the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines www.icbl.org
US Campaign to Ban Landmines |