Fallen diggers sent home amid breakthrough

2 Sep 2012, 8:47 pm   -   Source: AAP

Coalition and Afghan troops have captured an insider whom they say facilitated the murder of three Australian diggers by a rogue Afghan soldier.

RELATED

As the bodies of five Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan make their way home there has been a breakthrough in the hunt to find the rogue Afghan soldier who shot dead three of the diggers.

Coalition and Afghan troops have captured an insider they describe as "a key facilitator" who enabled the inside attack.

The five soldiers were farewelled by their colleagues in Tarin Kowt in a ceremony attended by senior International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel and Afghan National Security Force commanders.

Penrith-born Lance Corporal Stjepan "Rick" Milosevic, 40, Sapper James Martin, 21, from Perth and Private Robert Poate, 23, who was born in Canberra, were murdered by a rogue Afghan soldier at a patrol base in Oruzgan province on Wednesday.

In a separate incident, Lance Corporal Mervyn McDonald, 30, of Carnarvon in Western Australia, and Private Nathanael Galagher, 23, of Wee Waa, NSW, died when an ISAF helicopter crashed in Helmand Province on Thursday.

An ISAF statement said troops have captured "a key facilitator" involved in the deadly shootings.

"Operating shoulder to shoulder, the Afghan and coalition soldiers successfully captured a key facilitator who not only enabled the insider attack, but also was responsible for IED (improvised explosive device) emplacement, and the kidnapping and murder of Afghan civilians," the statement said.

It said the operation was planned and executed in co-ordination with Afghan officials including approval by the Oruzgan provincial governor.

Lance Corporal Milosevic's family said he was a courageous and immensely proud soldier.

"His desire to serve his country and honour his family saw him join the army at 36," the family said in a statement.

He served in both Afghanistan and Iraq during his four years of service.

"We are all proud of what Rick was able to achieve - not only as a soldier, but as a loving partner, devoted father, son and brother."

Lance Corporal Milosevic is survived by his partner Kelly and daughters Sarah and Kate.

Seven Australians have now died in so-called "green on blue" attacks by Afghan soldiers.

The latest perpetrator, Hek Matullah, has been pursued since Wednesday, when he scaled a fence and ran for his life after he opened fire on the diggers with an automatic weapon.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said all serving nations in Afghanistan were weary, but they remained resolved to leave the country in better shape than when the coalition forces first arrived in late 2001.

"No one wants to be there in this very difficult war, this unpopular war, a day longer than we need to be," he told Sky News on Sunday.

Senator Carr said an early withdrawal of Australian troops from Afghanistan would do "enormous harm" to Australia's reputation.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in April that most Australian troops would leave Afghanistan within 12 to 18 months as the transition to self-governance and security occurred in the Asian nation.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported late on Saturday that the commander of US special forces in Afghanistan had suspended training for all new Afghan recruits until Afghan soldiers are reinvestigated for ties to insurgents.

The newspaper said the revetting process would affect more than 27,000 Afghan troops.

The suspension comes in response to the killing of at least 45 US troops this year by their Afghan colleagues.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube