Aug. 21, 2010 (United Press International) -- A roadside blast in the Kandahar region of central Afghanistan killed two Australian soldiers and wounded two others, military officials said Saturday.
The soldiers were on a patrol with Afghan troops to detect roadside bombs when the blast struck Friday near an Australian Bushmaster vehicle in the Oruztgan province, the acting chief of the Australian Defense Force, Lt. Gen. David Hurley, and Defense Minister John Faulkner announced in Australia's capital, Canberra.
The two killed -- Pvt. Grant Kirby, 35, a father of two, and Pvt. Tomas Dale, 21 -- were on foot while the other two soldiers, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, were inside the vehicle, The Australian reported.
Nine Australian soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year, among 20 killed there since the war began in 2001, the newspaper said.
Kirby and Dale, both from Brisbane, were members of the 6th battalion Royal Australian Regiment and part of the 1st Mentoring Task Force, which trained Afghan troops.
