Australian wounded soldier returns to duty after stopping Insider Attack

An Australian soldier who was slightly wounded in an Insider Attack by an Afghan soldier on Saturday morning (26 October 13) has returned to duty. The New Zealand soldier wounded in the ankle remains in a stable condition.

The Australian soldier, who is a member of the Australian Force Protection element assigned to the Afghan National Army OfficerAcademy, was leaving an Afghan National Army compound with other Australian soldiers and a New Zealand Army colleague when they came under fire from an Afghan soldier.

The party returned fire and wounded the Afghan soldier. He was medically evacuated to hospital but later died of his wounds.

Acting Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin has confirmed that the Australian and New Zealand soldiers were not badly wounded.

“Australian and New Zealand soldiers are highly professional and it is good news that no serious injuries were sustained in this attack. Our force protection measures were operating effectively – saving the Australian and New Zealand soldiers from a more serious situation,” Air Marshal Binskin said.

The Australian and New Zealand force elements have commenced discussions with the dead Afghan soldier’s unit to determine the cause for the attack.