27 Oct 2012

Australian soldier killed in Afghan 'IED factory'

5:14 pm on 27 October 2012

The Australian defence force has described the compound in Afghanistan where Australian soldier Scott Smith was killed last Sunday as an "IED factory".

Corporal Smith, 24, was killed instantly when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off during a mission to target insurgents in Uruzgan province.

It has been revealed he was leaving a compound filled with bombs when he was killed.

The chief of joint operations, Ash Power, says Corporal Smith had been helping to clear the site, which had more than 100 IEDs in it.

General Power says the compound, which is now destroyed, was used by an insurgent network funded by narcotics sales.

Corporal Smith, who was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, is the 39th Australian soldier killed there.