FED:Afghan, Aust soldiers aid IED injured

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2011
FED:Afghan, Aust soldiers aid IED injured

CANBERRA, Dec 6 AAP - Australian and Afghan troops have given emergency treatment to
a group of Afghan civilians badly injured by an insurgent bomb.

Defence says three children and one adult were killed while four other children and
two adults were seriously injured when their vehicle was blown up by an IED (improvised
explosive device) on Monday in Australia's area of operations in Afghanistan's Oruzgan
Province.

Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Ash Power said the injured were first
treated at an Australian Patrol Base, about 30 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt.

"I am proud of the way our combat medics from Mentoring Task Force - Three responded
to the emergency in providing immediate first aid to the casualties," he said in a statement.

"Sadly, not all the casualties survived the blast, but our soldiers' rapid and efficient
response in conjunction with the aero medical evacuation team meant we were able to get
the survivors to hospital at Tarin Kowt for further treatment."

Across Afghanistan, insurgent IED and suicide attacks are responsible for 49 per cent
of conflict-attributed deaths.

Lieutenant General Power said insurgents continued to employ tactics that placed innocent
Afghans at high risk by the indiscriminate use of IEDs within populated areas.

"Our forces in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are providing
protection to the people of Oruzgan by targeting the threat posed by IEDs and the insurgents
that conduct operations in the province," he said.

AAP mb/it

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST IED

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