‘Green-on-Blue’ assailant killed in Afghanistan …
- August 16th, 2013
- Posted by EU Australia
Allied forces have killed a former Afghan soldier who shot and wounded two of his comrades in uniform, and seriously wounded three Australian soliders, in Ourzgan province, in November 2011.
No Bin-Ladn, the man had yet committed the venal and savage crime of a “green-on-blue” attack; an exercise in breach of trust where insurgents join the national army then turn their weapons on allies, whether on patrol, on parade or around the camp.
After the 2011 attack the man escaped, and when found this week, 13.8.13, by an Afghan force, backed by Australian and other international soldiers, he was far to the North, in Takhar province.
He was killed after throwing a hand grenade.
The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, at an Army base in Darwin, said, 15.8.13: “This combined operation involved months of focused intelligence and professional work … .”
To date 40 Australian soldiers have been killed and 256 wounded in the Afghanistan conflict.
The main commitment is ending by the end of this year, 1000 returning home, with some 500 Special Forces and training and support personnel remaining.
Reference
Guardian, Manchester, Afghan soldier who shot Australians hunted down and killed, 15.8.13. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/15/rogue-afghan-soldier-killed, (16.8.13).
Wikipedia, SF, Australian defence Force casualties in Afghanistan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Defence_Force_casualties_in_Afghanistan, (16.8.13).