Australian soldier killed in Uruzgan blast

KABUL) said on Tuesday.

The casualties were announced in a brief statement from the NATO-led force that neither gave the victims’ nationalities nor the exact location of Monday’s roadside bombing in line with its policy.

But Australia’s defence ministry said one of its soldiers was killed and five others were injured in two separate incidents in Uruzgan province. It identified the victim as Sergeant Brett Wood, 32, the 24th Australian to die in action in Afghanistan since 2001.

A second soldier suffered life-threatening wounds while the third suffered serious injuries in the explosion. Both were evacuated by helicopter and are being treated at a medical facility, where they have been listed as seriously ill.

Separately, three Australian troops were wounded in a firefight with the insurgents in the same province. “They are receiving treatment at a medical facility and are expected to be in out-patients,” the ministry added.

 The latest fatality brings to 178 the number of NATO-led soldiers killed in Afghanistan so far in 2011, Last year, 711 international soldiers died in the country.

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