TWO of the three ISAF soldiers killed in a December 27 attack on a convoy in Kabul were Slovaks. The third deceased soldier was American.
The two men, aged 34 and 39, were members of the special regiment in Žilina. They left for Afghanistan about a month ago, the TASR newswire reported. A governmental plane should transport their bodies to Slovakia on the afternoon of December 28.
A suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of international troops in an eastern district of the Afghan capital Kabul on December 27, killing three service members and wounding six Afghans, officials said as reported by the Associated Press. The bomber struck the convoy about a kilometre from NATO's Camp Phoenix base, Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanakzai, who reported the Afghan injuries, said as quoted by the AP.
The AP quoted Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid as saying that the insurgent group was behind the attack. Slovak government officials condemned the attack.
Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák said Slovakia will not accept any threats and the Slovak soldiers will work within the ISAF mission until its end. Combat troops are slated for withdrawal by the end of 2014, the Sme daily wrote on its website.
“We have no interest to stay in Afghanistan not a day longer than necessary,” Lajčák said as quoted by Sme. “On the other hand, we want to leave behind a stable government.”
A Slovak soldier was also killed in Afghanistan in July 2013. Those attackers still have not been captured.
There are 20 Slovak soldiers stationed in Afghanistan at the moment as part of the ISAF operation, Sme reported. So far this year 151 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press.
Source: Sme, TASR, AP
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News.
