Roadside bomb kills four civilians in southern Afghanistan

[News_Editor]

Roadside bomb kills four civilians in southern Afghanistan

2011-12-06 20:56:38 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- Four civilians, including three children, were killed on Monday when a roadside bomb exploded in the southern region of Afghanistan, officials said on Tuesday. Several others were injured.

The attack happened in the Chorah District of Uruzgan province when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a vehicle which was carrying a group of civilians. As a result of the blast, one woman and three children were killed.

In addition to the fatalities, six civilians of whom four are children were seriously injured. Australian soldiers working for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) responded to the scene and provided first aid before the victims were airlifted to an Australian Patrol Base, approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Tarin Kot.

"I am proud of the way our combat medics from Mentoring Task Force - Three (MTF-3) responded to the emergency, in providing immediate first aid to the casualties," said Ash Power, the Chief of Joint Operations in the Australian Army. "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 Kot for further treatment."

ISAF Commander General John R. Allen also condemned the attack. "The insurgency continues its campaign of senseless and cruel acts against the Afghan people despite the claims of safeguarding civilians by an absent leadership," he said. "This killing of Afghans, by Afghans, must come to an end."

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