Two Australian soldiers wounded in action in Afghanistan

Two soldiers from Australia’s Mentoring Task Force Two (MTF 2) were Wounded in Action in separate incidents in the Baluchi Valley region of Uruzgan Province yesterday.

The first incident involved an improvised explosive device strike on a Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle resulting in one Australian soldier being Wounded in Action. He was treated at the scene before being aero-medically evacuated to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) medical facility at Tarin Kot with suspected internal injuries. Following medical assessment he was then transported to the ISAF medical facility in Kandahar for further treatment. Further assessment, including a CAT scan, revealed no significant injuries, with medical staff listing him as being in a satisfactory condition.

In the second incident, an Afghan National Army dismounted patrol, partnered with MTF 2, struck an improvised explosive device resulting in an Australian soldier being Wounded in Action, suffering serious blast and fragmentation wounds. After being treated at the scene, he was aero-medically evacuated to the ISAF medical facility at Tarin Kot before also being transported to the ISAF medical facility in Kandahar for further treatment. The soldier remains in a serious condition under the care of ISAF medical staff.

The families of both soldiers have been notified of the incidents.

Commander Joint Task Force 633 Major General John Cantwell said, “Despite significant gains in finding and destroying many improvised explosive devices, and munitions caches, insurgents continue to target both Afghan and ISAF patrols, with no regard for innocent members of the local population.

“In each of today’s incidents, the soldiers were quickly attended to by their mates in the field and are being cared for in the ISAF medical facility in Kandahar.”

Afghan National Army soldiers, supported by their Australian partners, continue to expand their area of operations in order to bring security to the people of Uruzgan.

Sixty-two Australian soldiers have been wounded in Afghanistan this year. Since the ADF commenced operations in Afghanistan, 162 soldiers have been wounded.

ENDS

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