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One Australian soldier has been killed and one wounded (10.7.10) in another explosion of a roadside bomb (an Improvised Explosive Device – IED), in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. It happened on the day of another soldier’s memeorial service in Darwin. … Read More »
Three Australian commandos have died (21.6.10) when the helicopter taking them in to action crashed, in the Northern Kandahar province of Afghanistan.
Among fifteen on board, a soldier from one of the allied countries was also killed, and seven Australians survived — though all seven have been injured, two of them very seriously. … Read More »
Two Australian soldiers have been killed on patrol in Afghanistan’s Oruzgan Province, during a day in which altogether ten soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) lost their lives (8.6.10). … Read More »
Sales of uranium to Russia, agriculture, education, protecting Antarctica, and even the ban on kangaroo meat were discussed when the Australian Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, visited Moscow this week (21 and 22.4.10).
He went on to Tallinin, in Estonia, for a NATO meeting on Afghanistan. … Read More »
The weekend political break-down in the Netherlands is expected to see the 1600-string Dutch contingent marching out of Oruzgan province in Afghanistan, where the main body of Australian forces is located. … Read More »
The body of Private Benjamin Ranaudo, 22, the eleventh Australia killed in the fighting in Afghanistan, was returned to Melbourne (26.7.09) – greeted by family members and representatives of his unit, the Townsville-based 1st Battalion RAR. He was killed by a bomb set off as troops approached a compound.
A second soldier, Private Paul Warren, 30, from Toowoomba, was seriously injured in the same incident, and three Afghan civilians including a child were killed.
Reference: ADF, “Private Benjamin Ranaudo returns home”, MPSA 234/09. www.defence.gov.au, (17.7.09). Picture: Benjamin Ranaudo, ADF
The Australian government has confirmed it will send an extra 450 soldiers to Afghanistan.
The new forces, increasing the country’s commitment by nearly one-third, will be comprised of a Company group to assist with security during the forthcoming national elections, and more soldiers to work in mentoring and training roles with the Afghanistan army.
The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said (29.4.09) the overseas military commitment was becoming unpopular but was needed to help protect Australians from terrorist attack and to honour commitments to the American alliance.
The increase in troop numbers comes at the same time as additional commitments by Britain and the United States; the international force operating under a NATO command structure is stepping up its level of operations.