Four soldiers of the Romanian White Shark Force Protection Battalion in Afghanistan were injured on Sunday morning at about 10.30h by an improvised explosive device as they were patrolling the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence informs.
The MoD says in press statement that the soldiers were given first aid and evacuated to the military hospital at the Kandahar Air Base.
Sub-Lieutenant Florin Oprea, Private Eduard-Vlad Romila, Corporal Marcel Neagu and NCO Costica-Victor Tarnovschi are now under medical supervision in a stable condition. The battalion command made sure the soldiers can get in touch with their families by phone.
The defence minister and the chief of the army staff are said to be kept abreast of the latest developments in the injured soldiers’ condition. All measures are in place to secure the best treatment and care for the four injured, according to the statement.
Over 400 military of the “White Sharks” Infantry Battalion, including 15 girls and a pair of twins, left for Afghanistan on July 25, joining the NATO “Resolute Support” mission.
The 420 Romanian military were deployed to the military base in Kandahar for six months. The battalion joined the NATO mission to maintain a safe climate and to train the Afghan National Security Forces.
Among them there are also 15 women, some at their first mission abroad, but also two twin brothers from Blaj, also joining their first mission in a theatre of operations.
The training of the battalion to join the mission in Afghanistan began on March 21, 2016 and lasted four months. The White Sharks trained in three shooting stands in Romania, Biruinta, Babadag and Cincu where they used NATO tactics and procedures typical to stability and support missions.
President Iohannis conveys rapid recovery wishes
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has expressed on Sunday his solidarity with the injured Romanian soldiers.
“I’ve sadly learned about the four Romanian soldiers wounded today in Afghanistan. For us at home they are heroes risking their lives in peacekeeping missions. We should all be grateful to them. I stand beside them and their families, I wish them good health and rapid recovery,” the President wrote on his Facebook page.