Afghan child injured during contact with insurgents

A young boy has been injured during a contact between insurgents and a partnered Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) and Afghan National Police Provincial Response Company-Uruzgan (PRC-U) patrol.

Members of the SOTG and PRC-U were engaged with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades by a group of approximately four insurgents who fired from a creek-line in the Deh Rafshan area on Sunday, 27 March 2011.

During the contact, one insurgent was killed in action. On follow-up, the partnered patrol found a local boy suffering from gun-shot injuries to the upper body.

The child was assessed as being in a critical condition and received immediate first aid before being aero medically evacuated to a medical facility at Tarin Kot.

The boy remains in a critical but stable condition and has since been moved to intensive care facilities in Kandahar.  His father is accompanying him.

At this stage, it is not known how the boy was injured or who caused his injuries.

Defence has commenced an internal review of the incident.

In accordance with Defence policy, once this review is complete additional information will be released.