17th Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan
July 10th, 2010 - 2:36 pm ICT by IANSSydney, July 10 (DPA) Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Saturday an Australian soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, making him the 17th Australian casualty since 2001.
The 23-year-old was killed in Chora valley, Uruzgan province, early Saturday. Another soldier was injured.
Gillard made the announcement while attending a funeral in Darwin of another Afghan casualty, the third in the past week.
She said the deaths would not change her government’s policy: “There will be Australians today who are asking themselves in the face of this loss why as a country do we continue to pursue our mission there.”
“We pursue that mission because Afghanistan is a safe haven for terrorists,” Gillard said.
“I believe Australia, while mourning these losses, will understand our continuing determination.”
Defence minister John Faulkner said Australian troops were making steady progress in their mission to train a brigade of the Afghan National Army.
“I have acknowledged progress is not as fast as some would like to see but I still believe there has been a change in momentum in Afghanistan,” said Faulkner.
Australia has 1,550 troops deployed to Uruzgan province.
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- Gillard assures Oz troops in Afghanistan committed to Oruzgan mission - Oct 03, 2010
- Oz govt. in dock for stonewalling "US requests for additional troops in Afghanistan" - Nov 19, 2010
- British, Estonian troops killed in southern Afghanistan - Oct 16, 2011
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- Eight Afghan soldiers die in road-side bomb attack - Jan 12, 2010
- Oz elite forces giving military training to Afghan warlord's private army - Oct 29, 2010
- Three civilians among 17 killed in Afghan violence - Jun 19, 2010
- Afghan villagers attack diggers in Uruzgan province after Koran burning rumor - Sep 18, 2010
Tags: australian casualty, australian soldier, australian troops, australians, darwin, deaths, defence minister john, dpa, john faulkner, julia gillard, losses, momentum, national army, prime minister, roadside bomb, safe haven, soldier killed in afghanistan, steady progress, terrorists, uruzgan province