By Patrick Gower
The Afghans who attacked and killed the New Zealand troops in Bamyan have come back for more.
It has been revealed they mounted a second attack this morning on the Kiwi base at Do Ab. They fired rockets into the New Zealand camp, where some of those involved in the weekend’s fatal fire fight were based.
This afternoon, more details about the victims of that attack were revealed. They were Lance Corporals Rory Malone and Pralli Durrer, both 26.
Killed in the line of duty, the men were on their first tour of Afghanistan, shot dead in a fire fight with insurgents.
“These were shot in a fusillade, or a volley of fire from insurgent forces,” Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Rhys Jones said.
Kiwi troops had gone to the rescue of Afghan National Directorate of Security officers, who were ambushed in efforts to catch a bomb-maker responsible for improvised explosive devices (IED).
“This was not us being targeted by the insurgents coming through,” says Lt Gen Jones.
LCpl was out of his LAV armoured vehicle, on foot, when he was shot.
“He was the crew commander – he was out of the vehicle, as the vehicle was moving up to engage,” says Lt Gen Jones.
LCpl Malone was killed trying to rescue another soldier – the senior officer on the battlefield.
“LCpl Malone was killed instantly as he was trying to rescue his company commander.”
The insurgents tried to escape, fighting back all the way.
“We were also under sniper fire, this is the time when coalition air power came in,” Lt Gen Jones explained. “Our overall assessment is that the insurgents took a battering in this fight.”
But it wasn’t over; the insurgents returned on Sunday night (NZT) attacking the Do Ab Kiwi base with rockets and gunfire.
“We assess this is just a shower of force, to show they are still in the area,” says Lt Gen Jones.
Of the six injured soldiers, five are being transferred to a military hospital in Germany and are described as stable. The sixth is more seriously injured, shot in the neck, and will be transferred there when he is well enough.
The army is not releasing their names.
Prime Minister John Key has tonight played down the return of SAS troops to Afghanistan to help track down the insurgents, saying soldiers there already have the capability.
The bodies of the soldiers are currently at Bagram airbase and are expected home next week.
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