31 May 2011

Two Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

2:00 pm on 31 May 2011

Two Australian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in two separate incidents on Monday.

A 25-year-old lance corporal from the Mentoring Task Force was shot by an Afghan National Army soldier with whom he was serving on guard duty at a patrol base in the Chora Valley, the ABC reports.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said another Afghan National Army fired on the perpetrator but he was not apprehended.

In the second incident, a 27-year-old Australian pilot died when a Chinook helicopter on a resupply mission crashed 90km east of Tarin Kowt.

The pilot was a lieutenant who had recently served flying rescue missions during the Queensland floods.

The other Australians on board the helicopter were evacuated to a medical facility in Kandahar and are in a satisfactory condition.