Three Australian soldiers sustain minor wounds during successful operation

Three Australian Special Forces soldiers have sustained minor fragmentation wounds during an operation in Uruzgan province last week.

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) led operation, enabled by the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG), was launched to provide reinforcement to three ANSF security checkpoints that were under heavy, prolonged insurgent attack in the Char Chineh region of the Shahid–e Hasas District, Uruzgan province.

Local security forces successfully maintained security and regained control of the area.

A number of insurgents were killed during the operation including a mid-level commander responsible for supplying insurgents in the Shahid-e Hasas District with weapons and ammunition.

Commanding Officer SOTG, LTCOL M, praised the Australian soldiers for continuing the successful mission despite their wounds.

“Coming under insurgent fire, with three of their Australian partners wounded, the ANSF demonstrated their effective capability and continued the mission. As a result a number of insurgent fighters, including a mid-level commander, were killed, significantly reducing the capability of the insurgent fighting force attacking the ANSF checkpoints,” he said.

“The ANSF have proven themselves in a variety of combat situations. This mission was important as it reinforced ANSF checkpoints that have been under recent pressure from insurgent attacks. It has also disrupted the insurgent networks that are operating in this area, reducing their capability to target ANSF.

“At the time the entire force element was receiving heavy small arms fire, it was a situation that could have easily escalated.”

The three wounded soldiers received immediate treatment from medically trained personnel at the incident site, and returned to Multi-National Base – Tarin Kot for follow up medical treatment when the mission was completed.

One of the soldiers was subsequently transferred to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Role 3 Medical Facility in Kandahar for follow up treatment as an out-patient.

All soldiers are expected to return to full duties in the near future.

To date, 14 ADF personnel have been wounded in Afghanistan in 2013.

Defence will not release further details at this time.

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Defence Media Operations (02) 6127 1999