Nine Australians wounded fighting Taliban

SYDNEY: Taliban fighters engaged Australian troops in an overnight battle in southern Afghanistan that wounded nine soldiers and killed several insurgents, the Australian military said on Wednesday. The fighting was another example of rising violence in southern Uruzgan province, where attacks on foreign forces have become more common nearly seven years after the hard-line Islamic regime was ousted from power in a US-led invasion. Australian Defense spokesman Brig. Brian Dawson said the battle came as commandos took part in an ongoing Australian operation to disrupt Taliban networks. It was not immediately clear if the Australian troops attacked the Taliban, or vice versa. One Australian soldier suffered life-threatening injuries, five had serious wounds and the wounds to three others were reported to be slight, Dawson said. The soldiers were evacuated from the battlefield by helicopter and were being treated at NATO coalition medical facilities. Further information was not being released because the operation was still under way, Dawson said.
source: TOI