Defence Ministry hopes to open direct flight connection to base in North Afghanistan in summer

Troops affected by rocket attack in Kabul were engaged in aircraft maintenance

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Finland hopes to open a direct flight route to Masar-i-Sharif in North Afghanistan in the summer at the latest. It would be faster, safer, and more attractive from the economic point of view than the present connection via Kabul, the Afghan capital.
      ”The exact date for the opening of the new airport is not known as yet”, said Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (National Coalition) to Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday.
     
According to Häkämies, there are ”rational arguments” for the change of routes, for example the fact that the new route would be shorter. Safety alone is not the reason for changing routes.
      If the new route could be opened soon to the main base of the Finnish and Swedish peacekeepers, also the group of Finns stationed in Kabul would be transferred away from the Afghan capital, where they are mainly working only on aircraft maintenance.
     
On Tuesday, the Finnish peacekeepers were the target of a rocket attack in Kabul. A total of 15 Finns were at the Finnish base, Camp Katariina. Some of them belonged to the inspection troops visiting the country.
      None of the Finns suffered any injuries, but the explosion wounded three French peacekeepers and two Afghan civilians. One of the French soldiers sustained severe injuries.
      Camp Katariina is a part of a larger military camp supervised by the French ISAF peacekeeping forces.
     
”In the course of the current year, the safety conditions have worsened and the situation has become more strained. It is good to be aware of the fact”, said Lieutenant-Colonel Ahti Kurvinen, the commander of the Finnish ISAF peacekeeping forces, commenting on the rocket attack which struck some 50 metres away from the base.
      According to Minister of Defence Häkämies, the ministry is aware of the worsening of the security situation in Afghanistan, and a response has been set in motion.
     
Kurvinen stressed that the attack was clearly targeted against the NATO-led ISAF peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan.
      When the rocket exploded, some shrapnel fragments hit the wall of the Camp Katariina building and one Finnish vehicle.
      ”The Finns in the camp were woken up at 5.00 a.m. by a loud explosion, whereupon they immediately went to the bomb shelter. The situation was over in three hours”, reported Kurvinen over the phone.
     
Finland has promised the ISAF that an additional 100 Finnish soldiers are to arrive in Afghanistan in the summer at the latest, in order to assist the Afghan security authorities in overseeing the run-up to the country’s presidential elections to be held in August.
      The new airport would be an excellent improvement considering the transfers of the fixed-term election troops.
      In fact, the ISAF’s estimate regarding the need for additional election troops was based on the deteriorating safety conditions in the country.
      The ISAF or the International Security Assistance Force has been deployed in Kabul since 2001 under the authority of the UN Security Council.
      The North Atlantic Treaty Organizaton (NATO) took command of the ISAF operation in August 2003 upon request of the UN and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
     
On Tuesday, the Afghans celebrated the anniversary of the Mujahideen victory over the Soviet Union, which is why authorities could anticipate potential attacks and other disturbances.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish peacekeeper injured in firefight in Afghanistan (2.10.2006)
  Finland demands explanation for pardon of Afghan assailants who killed Finnish peacekeeper with IED in May (27.11.2007)

See also:
  Finland to send more troops to Afghanistan next summer (12.12.2008)

Links:
  International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)

Helsingin Sanomat