Finnish soldier injured in mortar attack on base in Afghanistan
|
|
|
A Finnish soldier was injured in a mortar attack on a permanent outpost in Ali Zayid on Sunday afternoon. The attack came two days after two other Finnish soldiers were injured in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on their vehicle in nearby Temorak.
One of three shells fired at the base hit the target, injuring a Finnish soldier, who sustained shrapnel injuries in his leg and his side. He was evacuated by helicopter to the German military hospital at Mazar-i-Sharif, where about ten fragments of shrapnel were removed.
Finnish commander Mikael Feldt said that the man’s condition is stable.
“He may be sent to Finland for more treatment, but a doctor will make that decision later”, said Feldt by telephone from Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday.
Finland has about 190 peacekeepers in Afghanistan. Finnish forces have come under attack more frequently in recent months than before in an operation that began in 2003.
Commander Feldt does not remember that Finns would previously come under attack at a base. Usually attacks have taken place against military convoys on the main road leading west from Mazar-i-Sharif, or in other parts of the territory that the soldiers patrol, which covers an area of about 30 x 30 kilometres.
The Al Zayid base, which is located about 45 kilometres from Mazar-i-Sharif, has about 30-50 soldiers around the clock.
On Sunday, the hard-line Muslim Taleban movement vowed to continue the fight against the US-led foreign forces, hoping to push the outsiders out of the country before the 2014 deadline. The NATO summit in Portugal set 2014 as the time when responsibility for Afghan security would be handed over to Afghanistan’s own military.
More on this subject:
 Halonen: 2014 no definitive deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan
Previously in HS International Edition:
Two Finnish soldiers wounded in Afghanistan RPG attack (19.11.2010)
Finland not setting specific time frame for Afghan withdrawal (2.11.2010)
Stubb: Finland has flexibility to make new Afghanistan decision (27.10.2010)
Helsingin Sanomat
|
|
