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| Afghanistan/South Asia | |
| German soldiers presumed dead in Afghan blast | |
| 2005-06-26 | |
| KABUL, June 26 (Reuters) - Two German soldiers from Afghanistan's NATO-led peacekeeping force are believed dead and another was wounded in a munitions explosion in northern Afghanistan at the weekend. Several Afghan civilians were also hurt in the blast near an airfield in Takhar province on Saturday afternoon while an ammunition store was being moved and prepared for destruction, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said. "The soldiers are reported missing and presumed dead -- it was a huge explosion," said the spokesman, Major Joe Bowman. The missing and wounded soldiers were identified as Germans by a German army spokesman late on Saturday. The incident happened in the town of Rustaq, a district capital about 300 km (190 miles) north of Kabul. "The ISAF soldiers were observing the operation when the explosion occurred," an ISAF statement said. Fourteen German peacekeeping soldiers have previously been reported killed in Afghanistan, including four in a June 2003 suicide attack on a bus filled with German troops headed to an airport on their way home. Two died in 2002 along with three Danes in an accident at a munitions site in Kabul.
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| Posted by:True German Ally |
| #14 Hmmm, via Roger Simon: Checkpoint Charlie's being razed, Hair Schroder didn't stop it. Gone by 7/4. A partial replica of the Berlin Wall at the former Checkpoint Charlie border crossing must be torn down, along with 1,065 crosses commemorating people who were killed trying to escape former communist East Germany, a court ruled Friday.The head of a private group that put up the memorial at the former east-west crossing in downtown Berlin said she would appeal. Original story from April, it's going thru. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2005-06-26 20:52 |
| #13 TGA - let all those over there know we thank Germany for sending its sons to aid the cause of freedom, and we appreciate their "young and brave" giving the ultimate gift to the Afghani people. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-06-26 19:50 |
| #12 TGA- I am hoping I got this translated right: Sie haben den feinsten Titel erworben, den irgendein Soldat um bitten kann - Schutz und Befreier. Mein tiefstes Beileid zu ihren Familien und zu Ihrer Nation. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-06-26 19:32 |
| #11 I'm so sorry, TGA. Bless them for their service in defense of freedom for the Afghanis. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-06-26 14:20 |
| #10 "...There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." These men died doing a job that will help make and keep Afghan women and children safe. Getting rid of munitions from too many years of war and destruction. Honorable men who died doing an honorable job far from home. God Bless them and keep them. My sympathies to their Familes and the German peoples for their loss. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-06-26 14:17 |
| #9 Old Patriot and all others, thanks for the kind words. Usually the Bundeswehr keeps a very low profile about this. The families decide about how much they want to get published. If there is a condolence site put up I'll let you know. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-06-26 13:49 |
| #8 My condolences to the families as well. Here's hoping the third one makes it through. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-06-26 13:45 |
| #7 Well said, OP. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-06-26 13:33 |
| #6 TGA, if you could find a site in Germany that we could send our condolences to the families and fellow soldiers directly, I'd appreciate it. We've badmouthed the German government for its failure to understand that all of Western civilization is under attack. It's heartening to know that many of the German people DO understand, and are willing to add their sacrifices to ours in our defense of freedom. I'd like the opportunity to say so personally to each and every family member of those killed. May God bless them in this time of sorrow, and give them strength. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2005-06-26 13:27 |
| #5 Dittos True German Ally, they sacrificed it all fighting for freedom in Afghanistan. |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-06-26 12:34 |
| #4 Condolences, TGA. Thanks for the sacrifice. And I'm certain the Afghans thank you also. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-06-26 08:27 |
| #3 My condolences,TGA,for the deaths Of Honoable soldiers who died Honorably |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-06-26 07:59 |
| #2 Our condolences, TGA, and our thanks to the German people for their service in helping stabilze Afghanistan. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-06-26 05:05 |
| #1 ISAF has confirmed the death of two, third one to be flown to Germany in critical condition. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-06-26 04:55 |