An Australian soldier has been killed in a firefight in Afghanistan and two other military personnel were wounded.
The chief of Australia's defence force, General David John Hurley, said the special forces soldier was killed by small arms fire on Saturday during an insurgent engagement.
Another soldier was seriously wounded, while an airman was also wounded during the incident, AAP reports.
The special forces soldier is the 40th Australian soldier to have died in Afghanistan since Australia became involved in the conflict.
It was the soldier's fifth tour of Afghanistan, having previously served in Iraq and East Timor.
He is the first Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan since Corporal Scott Smith was killed by an improvised explosive device last October.
