Special Forces aid an Afghan woman and two children after deadly insurgent explosion

Australian Special Forces provided emergency first aid to a seriously injured woman and two children, when their partnered patrol encountered the devastating aftermath of an insurgent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion on 29 April 2011.

The partnered patrol, comprising officers from the Afghan Provincial Response Company – Uruzgan and the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG), were returning to base when they came across the blast site and found several Afghan civilians dead or seriously injured.

The Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Task Group (who cannot be named for operational security reasons), Lieutenant Colonel G, said his men moved quickly to provide first aid to the injured.

“I am extremely proud of the way both the soldiers and the medical teams performed,” Lieutenant Colonel G said.

“Unfortunately five people died in the blast, but through the good work of our soldiers on the patrol and onboard the medical evacuation helicopter we were able to stabilise three people and get them to hospital for treatment.”

Sadly, the condition of the youngest patient, a girl less than 12 months old, continued to deteriorate and she died the next day from injuries suffered in the blast.

Three men, a woman and one child died at the scene.

These deaths add to the brutal toll insurgent IEDscontinue to have on Afghan civilians.

The United Nations recently highlighted that 1,141 Afghan civilians were killed by insurgent IEDs and suicide attacks in 2010.

Lieutenant Colonel G said this latest incident highlighted that the recent Taliban statement concerning the protection of civilians within their spring offensive was false.

“This attack is yet another example of the callous disregard they hold for innocent civilians.”