Australian Soldiers Injured In Iraq

Australian Soldiers Injured In Iraq

An Australian soldier has received initial treatment in Baghdad for a leg wound suffered during an attack involving an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on a vehicle patrol at about 6pm last night (Iraq time). The soldier is in a stable condition in a Baghdad hospital.

While two soldiers from the Overwatch Battle Group West (OBG(W)) were initially reported to be wounded when an IED exploded near their vehicle patrol last night, a third soldier reported this morning that he had injured his arm.

The second soldier has been treated for a minor head injury and has been released back to the OBG(W). The third soldier’s arm is being treated.

No members of other vehicles were wounded.

The attack destroyed one Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) and damaged two others.

The two damaged ASLAVs have since been recovered while planning continues to retrieve the third vehicle.

The incident occurred north of An Nasariyah in the Dhi Qar Province while the vehicles were conducting routine patrols.

The attack was part of a series of incidents involving the Australian contingent based in southern Iraq.

At lunch-time yesterday, an Australian patrol was fired on by rocket-propelled grenades. Following the IED, while OBG(W) troops were securing the incident-scene, a fast moving car that was driving towards the Australians failed to heed signals to stop and was subsequently fire upon by small arms. Three occupants of the car fled the scene and there are no known injuries

In a further incident early this morning (Iraqi time) OBG(W) elements returning to Tallil were again fired upon by Anti-Iraqi Forces using small arms and rockets. ADF personnel returned fire and all OBG(W) vehicles and personnel have now returned to Tallil with no further casualties or damage to OBG(W) vehicles.

Defence spokesperson, Brigadier Gus Gilmore praised the soldier’s drills and the protection of the armoured vehicles.

“In both Iraq and Afghanistan our people face the threat of these attacks regularly as the use of IED’s is the preferred method of attack against coalition forces.”

“While the threat of these types of attacks is ever present in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the discipline and training of Australian troops and the capabilities of the ASLAV and Bushmaster vehicles have proven themselves as offering a high level of protection to our troops.”

“Our deployed troops are further supported by the work of the Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force (CIEDTF) which was established in March 2006 as one of a series of measures to tackle the threat posed by IEDs.”

“While there is no ‘silver bullet’ to defeating the IED threat, the CIEDTF uses the best intelligence available to refine the ADF’s tactics, force protection measures and training required in order to reduce the likelihood of ADF and Coalition Force casualties.”

“Our soldiers conduct themselves in a manner that ensures the risk to life is minimised while still enabling them to undertake their important work of mentoring the Iraqi Security Forces and providing military support”, Brigadier Gilmore said.

The Australian contingent has experienced a number of similar incidents over the past two years. In June 2006, a vehicle patrol in As Samawah was unsuccessfully attacked by an IED. In September and October last year, OBG(W) patrols were also attacked with rockets.

ENDS

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