Two Australians Killed In Afghanistan
- August 21st, 2010
- Posted by EUEditor
Two soldiers have been killed in Southern Afghanistan while on operations as part of the Mentoring Task Force, serving alongside Afghan army units.
Text of Defence Department statement:
Two Australian soldiers from the Brisbane-based 6th Battalion have tragically lost their lives when they were struck by an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan.
Private Tomas Dale, 21, and Private Grant Kirby, 35 were killed while providing over-watch for an operation by fellow members of their patrol in the Baluchi Valley.
Dale and Kirby had left their Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle, when they were struck by the explosive device.
Two other Australian soldiers were injured in the attack however their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The pair received immediate care and were aero-medically evacuated to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) hospital in Tarin Kot.
The incident occurred at approximately 10.30 yesterday morning (Friday, 20.8.10), Afghanistan time.
This brings the number of Australians killed in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001 to 20, nine … this year. One-hundred and forty-seven soldiers have now been wounded in combat.
It was both soldiers’ first deployment to Afghanistan. Private Kirby, a father of two, had previously served in East Timor and Iraq… (ends)
Australia has some 1100 service personnel serving in Afghanistan with ISAF, the command structure set up and led by the NATO alliance.
Reference
Defence Department (Australia), “Two more Australians killed in Afghanistan”, 21.8.10.
http://www.defence.gov.au/defencenews/stories/2010/Aug/0821.htm, (21.8.10).