Death of five Australian troops prompts early return of PM
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is prompted to return to Australia early after five Australian troops are killed in Afghanistan by rogue killings and helicopter crash.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says that despite deaths, Australian troops will not be withdrawn before schedule
Five Australian troops were killed in Afghanistan according to officials this morning marking the worst loss in combat since the Vietnam War.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was prompted to return home early from a regional Pacific leaders’ conference after officials from the Australian Defence Force and the NATO-led coalition announced rogue shootings.
Three Australian soldiers were killed on Wednesday by an Afghan wearing a soldier’s uniform in southern Afghanistan bringing the number of NATO-led coalition troops killed in rogue shootings to 45 in 2012 alone.
Another two soldiers died later in a helicopter crash, again in the south, on Thursday.
Visibly emotional when addressing the press in the Cook Islands, Gillard said the news was shocking and will feel like “a physical blow” to many Australians.
The increasing number of rogue shootings and other attacks continues to pressure coalition members to push forward with withdrawal plans.
Most foreign combat troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and will until that time, be handing over security responsibility their Afghan counterparts.
Despite calls made by many Australians to withdraw troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible, Gillard said the troops were there to serve a purpose and will not be withdrawn before the stipulated time.
On the other hand, New Zealand announced that the withdrawal of its own troops will be accelerated after a roadside bomb killed three more.
