Media Room: Media Releases

ROAD-SIDE BOMBS WOUND THREE AUSTRALIANS

Australian force elements have faced four road-side bomb attacks in the past two days, resulting in three wounded soldiers and two damaged Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles.

In the first incident at midday on Friday (7 August 2009), two Australian soldiers operating with the 2^nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2) were wounded after a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED).

The soldiers suffered non-life-threatening wounds and are now receiving medical treatment at an ISAF medical facility in Tarin Kowt.

The Chief of Joint Operations Command, Lieutenant General Mark Evans said the soldiers were quickly evacuated via helicopter to the ISAF military hospital at Tarin Kowt.

“On receiving initial medical care at the incident location, the soldiers were evacuated to the medical facility at Tarin Kowt, where they were assessed as being in a stable situation,” LTGEN Evans said.

The soldiers’ family have been contacted. In accordance with Defence policy and due to the fact that operations are ongoing, no further details will be released at this time.

In a separate incident on Friday, a 2^nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force vehicle patrol struck an anti-personal mine while travelling in a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle. There were no casualties as a result of that incident.

In a third incident, during a foot patrol, an IED was initiated near MRTF soldiers but without effect. There were no injuries reported.

Earlier today (Saturday), a Bushmaster was travelling to the scene of an earlier incident and struck an IED. One soldier was wounded and has been aero-medically evacuated to Tarin Kowt for further treatment. The wounds are not life-threatening. The bomb badly damaged the vehicle.

LTGEN Evans said improvised explosive devices pose a daily threat and remained the weapon of choice by the Taliban insurgents, who were focused on disrupting elections later this month.

“Afghanistan is an inherently dangerous place. The exceptional training and equipment that Australian soldiers possess put them in the best possible position to mitigate risk,” LTGEN Evans said.

The wounded soldiers are from the Townsville-based 3^rd Brigade.

The incidents follow the significant achievement by Afghan National Security Forces, with support from the Special Operations Task Group and MRTF in capturing four Taliban insurgent leaders last weekend.

Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664