BELOW: Video released by the NZ Defence Force. It shows a firefight during which Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone, both aged 26, were killed by enemy fire in the gun battle with insurgents at Baghak in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan on August 4. (Watch a larger version of the video here.)
The footage, captured by a soldier's helmet camera, was released yesterday following a Court of Inquiry into the deaths of five New Zealanders in two separate incidents two weeks apart in August last year.
The inquiry report found shrapnel from a New Zealand light armoured vehicle likely caused the injuries of two of the six other Kiwi soldiers wounded in the same battle.
"Two of our soldiers were injured as a result of friendly-fire. The reality is that while unfortunate, this is always a risk during complex combat situations," Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says.
In another finding, the Court of Inquiry criticised the failure of New Zealand and US forces to find a grenade on the body of a fallen Kiwi soldier.
The body with a grenade on it was flown all the way to Christchurch before it was discovered, sparking the evacuation of Christchurch Hospital.
Mr Coleman says the inquiry showed the soldiers performed well under fire and displayed great courage and professionalism in a situation that was impossible to train for.
"It was a very intense situation and our eight casualties occurred within a chaotic 12-minute period," Mr Coleman says.
NBR staff
Fri, 14 Jun 2013
Fri, 14 Jun 2013
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VIDEO: Afghan firefight footage
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