Kabul | Tuesday
SIX Afghan children were airlifted for treatment by coalition forces after suffering serious landmine injuries near Kandahar, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Tuesday.
The youngsters, aged between eight and 15, were airlifted to Kabul on Monday along with two adults who were also injured in the incident earlier in the morning.
They were flown from the southern city of Kandahar in coalition aircraft before being driven by ISAF ambulances to German and Italian military hospitals for treatment, according to Squadron Leader Tom Rounds.
He told reporters that two other adults suffered minor injuries but were treated on site.
”The remaining eight were treated for trauma and eventually evacuated by air,” said Rounds.
”There were six children among the eight. Three of those were listed as very seriously ill and three as seriously ill.
”The children … all suffered an assortment of shrapnel injuries to the head, legs and abdomen.”
Afghanistan is littered with mines and unexploded ordnance after 23 years of war. Four American servicemen were killed last week as they tried to destroy unexploded ordnance in Kandahar. – Sapa-AFP