New Afghanistan Casualties
- February 3rd, 2011
- Posted by EUEditor
An Australian soldier has been killed and another seriously wounded in Afghanistan.
The Australian Defence Force announced today that Corporal Richard Atkinson, 22, was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED), in Uruzgan Province, while leading his section as a search commander.
Born in Hobart, he was from the Darwin-based 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, and had been engaged to be married.
Prior to the posting in Afghanistan he had been deployed on Earthquake relief in Indonesia in 2009.
Another soldier seriously injured in the bomb blast has gone to a military hospital.
Around 1000 Australians have been committed to the campaign against Taliban insurgents, as part of the International Security Assistance Force, headed by NATO.
Twenty-two have lost their lives with more than 140 wounded.
See also, EUAustralia Online, “Losses in Afghanistan”, 25.8.10.
Reference
ADF, Canberra, “Corporal Richard Atkinson”, 3.2.11. http://www.defence.gov.au/vale/cpl_atkinson/cpl_atkinson.htm, (3.2.11).
Pictures ADF