Soldier killed in Afghan rocket attack

Tuesday 07 April 2009

One Dutch soldier has been killed and five injured in a rocket attack on the Dutch army base of Kamp Holland in Afghanistan.

Azdin Chadli (20) had only been in Uruzgan for a week. In total, 19 Dutch soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the Netherlands joined the international forces there.

The five injured soldiers, all aged between 19 and 24, are said to be in a stable condition.

According to the defence ministry, four rockets were fired at the camp, probably by Taliban forces. One rocket hit the camp centre, one hit a nearby Afghan army base, slightly injuring two, and the others missed their targets.

In total, some 1,500 soldiers are based at Kamp Holland, including some British, US and Australian troops.

Vulnerable

'The death of private Chadli shows how vulnerable the security situation in Uruzgan is,' chief of the armed forces Peter van Uhm said in The Hague.

It is the first time someone has been killed in Kamp Holland itself. The previous Dutch victims all died while on patrol, often due to roadside bombs.

Defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop, who is on a working trip to Romania, said he was very shocked, and pointed out that the situation in Uruzgan had been relatively peaceful compared with the surrounding provinces.

The Dutch role in Afghanistan had been praised by the US at last week's international summit which aimed to stimulate efforts to bring peace to the region.

© DutchNews.nl

Readers' comments

Comments have been closed for this article.