IED killed digger in 2011: Defence report

18 Jul 2012, 5:03 pm   -   Source: AAP

A defence inquiry has confirmed a soldier died from an insurgent bomb blast but has decided not to release the inquiry report.

Defence has concluded its inquiry into the death of a soldier in Afghanistan last year, confirming he died in an insurgent bomb blast.

But the full report into the death of Private Matthew Lambert won't be released after Defence Minister Stephen Smith weighed the wishes of the family and advice from the defence chief against the public interest.

Private Lambert, 26, a member of the Townsville-based 2nd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), died on August 22 while participating in a patrol with Afghan and other coalition forces in the Khas Oruzgan region of Oruzgan Province.

He received immediate first aid from other soldiers and was flown by helicopter to the medical facility at the base at Tarin Kowt but died soon after arriving.

Private Lambert was the 29th Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan. The toll now stands at 33.

Defence said it had accepted all eight recommendations of the inquiry and was implementing them, but would not make them public.

Seven of the recommendations relate to the way in which soldiers deal with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

"The IED threat in Afghanistan is enduring and adaptive," defence said in a statement.

The remaining recommendation was that a full commission of inquiry was not warranted.

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