Bomb Attacks Wound Two Australian Soldiers

Three Road-Side Bomb Attacks Wound Two Australian Soldiers

Taliban insurgents have targeted Australian forces in three separate road-side bomb attacks in the one day.

Two Australian soldiers operating in southern Afghanistan were wounded in separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions on Friday, 12 February 2010.

The first incident involved a soldier conducting a patrol consisting of members of both the 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF - 2) and the 1st Mentoring Task Force (MTF- 1) east of Tarin Kowt when an IED detonated. The soldier, from the Brisbane-based MTF - 1 suffered minor wounds.

In a second incident, involving soldiers from Townsville-based MRTF - 2, a dismounted patrol was targeted with an IED. One soldier was wounded in this incident and he was aero-medically evacuated to the ISAF medical facility in Tarin Kowt and then transferred to a US medical facility at Bagram Airbase.

The soldier's family has been contacted. A medical assessment continues, and while his wounds are considered serious they are not life threatening.

In a third incident, a patrol of MRTF-2 soldiers was again targeted with an IED. The device activated but there were no casualties.

All three strikes occurred in the Mirabad Valley region, an area where Australian and Afghan National Security Forces have established a firm presence and have continued to successfully press the Taliban insurgents in order to provide security for the local people.

The 730 members of MRTF-2 have commenced the transfer of responsibility for their security, mentoring and reconstruction activities to the Brisbane-based Mentoring Task Force (MTF-1).

ENDS