At least 11 children have been reported dead, and 16 people, including eight Romanian soldiers, wounded, after a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near a school and a mosque in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province on Monday.
The attacker was targeting a convoy of Romanian troops patrolling the Daman district of Kandahar. The injured are admitted to the hospital of the military base in the province.
“Eight soldiers of the 30th „Carpathian Eagles” Protection Force Battalion from Campulung Muscel have been wounded in Afghanistan on Monday, April 30, around 9 a.m. during a patrolling mission, as they were the target of a suicide bombing attack (VBIED – Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device). The military were granted the first aid on the scene and after that they were taken to the military hospital in Kandahar, where they are in stable condition,” reads a press release issued by the Romanian Ministry of Defence.
The Romanian soldiers have ages ranging from 34 to 43 years old and were for the second, or even third time in such a mission, MoD reported: first sergeant Ionescu Marius Valentin (aged 41, married, third mission in Afghanistan), sergeant Rădoi Eugen Luci (aged 39, married, a mission to Kosovo, third mission in Afghanistan), corporal Ganţă Adrian Bogdan (aged 40, married, second mission in Afghanistan), corporal Popescu Florin Adrian (aged 38, married, second mission in Afghanistan), corporal David George Marian (aged 34, married, second mission in Afghanistan), corporal Radu Ionel (aged 39 de ani, married, third mission in Afghanistan), corporal Popelcă Petre (aged 43, married, third mission in Afghanistan) nd corporal Bădulescu Nicolae Marian (aged 43 de ani, married, second mission in Afghanistan).
DefMin Mihai Fifor told Digi 24 that our soldiers “are out of danger”.
“There are extremely bad news which make us sad. We had an incident in Kandahr this morning. Eight Romanian soldiers on a patrolling mission have been wounded in a suicide bombing attack. The soldiers have been immediately evacuated and are now in the hospital. The good news that the eight soldiers are out of any danger. Doctors are providing them with specialized treatment. Their injuries are not life threatening, so our soldiers are out of danger. We are close to our soldiers and to their families,” the Defence minister stated.
President Klaus Iohannis and PM Viorica Dancila also reacted.
“I found out today with great sorrow about the attack in Afghanistan that claimed lives, children including. Following this tragic event, eight Romanian soldiers, have been injured. I wish them speedy recovery and a lot of strength to them and their families in these times of hardship”, the head of state said in a press release.
“We are standing by our soldiers who represent our country with professionalism and devotion in the most dangerous areas in the world, for peacekeeping missions and to ensure international security,” President Iohannis added.
“My thoughts are with all those who are suffering from these tragic events,” reads a press release by PM Dancila.
“I wish speedy recovery to our soldiers and strength to their families to get over these difficult moments,” the premier concluded.
The 30th „Carpathian Eagles” Protection Force Battalion left for a new mission in Afghanistan in January this year.
Over 700 Romanian soldiers are deployed in the Kandahar Afghan region. In September 2017, three other Romanian soldiers were wounded in a car bombing near the Kandahar airport.