Если в стране всего несколько regiments, несколько сот человек СпН, SAS и нек. другие, и кто-то действительно lost in action, кто бы это смог скрыть?
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Aussies under fire
AAP
15mar02
AUSTRALIAN crack troops killed at least 10 al-Qaeda and Taliban forces during a series of firefights in the final throes of Operation Anaconda.
The defence department said today SAS troops were engaged in a series of firefights against retreating enemy forces in the past 48 hours.
Brigadier Paul Retter confirmed almost all of Australia's 150 SAS troops now in Afghanistan had pulled out of Operation Anaconda and returned to their base at Kandahar.(So what? - V.)
He said the troops would be repairing some of their equipment and coming to terms with a hectic three months that included a series of sharp firefights in the past two days.
"Over the past 48 hours our Australian special forces continued their mission centred on conducting cut-off operations against enemy forces attempting to escape the battle area through the southern flank," he told reporters.
"These actions were successful, and resulted in numerous enemy troops being killed."
Brigadier Retter said he could not give an exact number of enemy troops killed, but added it was at least 10.
No Australian troops were either killed or injured in the numerous skirmishes.
Apart from their efforts to stop fleeing enemy troops, the SAS troops continued to direct coalition air forces against al-Qaeda and Taliban forces.
Brigadier Retter said the troops would now get some well-earned rest in Kandahar before they were replaced by another 150 SAS personnel after Easter.
He said apart from repairing their equipment, the troops would go through a series of intensive briefings on their experiences.
Information gleaned from the briefings will go to the troops set to replace them, and to other coalition forces.
"These back briefs are critical in capturing the lessons learned from the recent operation that can be used to assist us in preparing for subsequent operations," he said.
The troops, who have been serving in Afghanistan since December, will also have psychological support once they return to Australia.
A group of RAAF personnel today flew out from the Richmond air base near Sydney for the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan.
The personnel are the forward party for two Boeing 707 air-to-air refuellers which will supply fuel to all coalition forces.
The first 707 will head out early next week, with the second to follow soon after.
Meanwhile, NSW Premier Bob Carr has farewelled a group of visiting New York firefighters and police officers who had spent a holiday in the state.
The emergency service personnel had been in the frontline when the World Trade Centre was destroyed by terrorist attacks on September 11.
Mr Carr said he wished the 27 visitors and their families, who had been guests of the state government, would return soon.
"Today is a sad occasion on one level because we say goodbye to our friends of our city and our city's people," he said.
"It was our honour to give them a warm welcome ... they have always been welcome."
Australian special forces pull out of eastern Afghanistan
Australian special forces troops involved in operation Anaconda in eastern Afghanistan are pulling out, as the battle against the Taliban and Al Quaeda forces winds down.
Brigadier Paul Retter says the troops will de-brief and rest in the southern city of Kandahar ahead of their return to Australia in a few weeks.
Earlier in the campaign, the Australians helped save stranded US soldiers after a helicopter crash in which a number of Americans were killed.
Brigadier Retter says the troops have killed a number of enemy soldiers in the latest operation, as Coalition forces have pushed the enemy from the north of the battle area:
"There has been a natural tendency by the enemy, it would appear, to try and exfiltrate out of the battle area to the south. Now the Special Forces we've had in place have been in that location, designed to identify those enemy forces trying to relocate and to destroy them, either through airstrike or through direct weapon action."
Australian SAS troops are withdrawing as operation Anaconda winds up in Afghanistan after a series of skirmishes in which several enemy soldiers were killed.
Brigadier Paul Retter says there were no Australian casualties and the soldiers are returning to Kandahar.
He says the role of the Australians has been to intercept enemy forces as they attempted to flee the battle area to the south of the country.
"In the past few days these actions involved direct actions, directing air strikes, direct fire," Brigadier Retter said.
"These actions were successful and have resulted in numerous enemy being killed."
Brigadier Retter says the troops will de-brief and rest in Kandahar ahead of their return to Australia in a few weeks.
Earlier in the campaign, the Australians helped save stranded US soldiers after a helicopter crash in which a number of Americans were killed.
