Georgian soldiers killed in Afghanistan attack
An elderly Afghan walks past US Marines from Kilo Company of the 3rd Battalion 8th Marines Regiment while they conduct a patrol in Garmser, Helmand Province on June 29, 2012.
Three Georgian soldiers serving with NATO-led forces in Afghanistan were killed Monday in an insurgent attack.
Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said the soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber drove a truck carrying explosives into their base in Helmand province.
More from GlobalPost: Kandahar roadside bomb blast kills at least 10 civilians
"A combined insurgent attack took place at the base, using an explosive device that was loaded on a truck, driven by a suicide bomber," Alasania told a special press briefing in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. "The Georgian soldiers repelled the attack, all terrorists were killed on the spot and, at this moment, they are in full control of the operational situation in the zone that falls under their responsibility."
There are 1,570 Georgian troops serving in Helmand province, and Alasania said Monday's attack was the "largest" so far carried out against the country's soldiers in Afghanistan.
At least 19 Georgian soldiers have been killed while serving in Afghanistan so far, where there are currently around 100,000 US-led NATO troops fighting a Taliban-led insurgency.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!