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Two Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Two Australian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Monday in a “very bad day” for the Australian Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston has announced.
One of the soldiers was a 25-year-old lance corporal who was shot by an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier with whom he was serving on guard duty at a patrol base in the Chora Valley.
The Australian, from the Mentoring Task Force, was airlifted to the Australian base at Tarin Kowt but died from his wounds.
“Another Afghan National Army soldier fired upon the offending ANA soldier… however the perpetrator was not apprehended but he has been identified,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
Afghan and Australian forces are now hunting for the gunman.
The dead soldier had served in East Timor and started his tour in Afghanistan last November.
In the second incident, a 27-year-old Australian pilot died when a Chinook helicopter on a resupply mission crashed 90 kilometres east of Tarin Kowt.
The other Australians on board the helicopter were evacuated to a medical facility in Kandahar and are in a satisfactory condition.
The man killed was a lieutenant who had recently served flying rescue missions during the Queensland floods.
“He was a qualified pilot who had provided sterling service in Afghanistan since he deployed a short time ago,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
On Tasmanian Times:
Get out of Afghanistan:
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