Four NATO soldiers killed in Afghan offensive: ISAF



18 February 2010 | 23:13 | FOCUS News Agency



Kabul. Four NATO soldiers were killed on Thursday during a major offensive against Taliban insurgents under way in southern Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force said, AFP informs.
Three of the soldiers were killed by mines, huge numbers of which have been planted by the insurgents in Marjah, and one was killed by gunfire, said ISAF.
It did not identify the soldiers' nationalities, in line with NATO practice.
However British defence officials said separately that two of the country's soldiers were killed Thursday as part of the NATO assault against Taliban insurgents.

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Two British Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan
Thursday, 18 February 2010 16:52

A British soldier from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards has been killed in southern Afghanistan.

The families of both servicemen have been informed.

The soldiers were involved in Operation Moshtarak, a massive joint UK, US and Afghan assault on insurgent strongholds.

Their deaths take the total number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the conflict began in 2001 to 263.

A soldier from 1st Battalion Scots Guards, part of the 1 Grenadier Guards Battle Group, was killed in a firefight.

He was fighting rebels in the Nad-e-Ali area of central Helmand, an MoD spokeswoman said.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "He was on operations against insurgents in the Nad-e-Ali area of central Helmand, part of Operation Moshtarak, when he was shot and killed.

"He died a soldier taking the fight to insurgents. He'll be sorely missed but he will not be forgotten."


Earlier the MoD said a soldier from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards had been killed in an explosion in the Babaji area of Helmand province.

Lt Col Wakefield said: "He was involved in operations as part of Operation Moshtarak to clear insurgents to the southwest of Patrol Base 4 in the Babaji area of Nahr-e-Saraj in central Helmand so that a checkpoint could be built and a road laid through the area, thereby bringing enduring security and freedom of movement to local people.

"He died in the course of his duty and among his comrades. His courage and sacrifice will be remembered."

Operation Moshtarak, which means "together" in the Dari language, involves about 15,000 Nato and Afghan troops.

UK forces are concentrating their efforts on Nad-e-Ali in Helmand, with US Marines fighting to take the nearby town of Marjah from the Taliban.

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Feb 18, 2010 2:20 pm US/Mountain 3 Fort Carson Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan

FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) ― Three Fort Carson soldiers serving in Afghanistan have died in an improvised explosive device enemy attack on their unit.

The Pentagon announced Thursday that the soldiers killed were with the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. They died Saturday in Zhari province.

Those killed were: 24-year-old Staff Sgt. John A. Reiners, of Lakeland, Fla.; 26-year-old Sgt. Jeremiah T. Wittman of Darby, Mont.; and 23-year-old Spc. Bobby J. Pagan of Austin, Texas.

Military officials released few details about the attack. Since military operations began in March 2003, 43 soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. An additional 255 soldiers have died in Iraq.


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