Another soldier shot

Another Australian soldier has been shot and wounded in a firefight with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

The Defence Force said today the unnamed soldier was wounded during a clearance operation in the restive Oruzgan province in south-central Afghanistan.

He was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital for treatment for a gunshot wound to his arm.

The Defence Force said the wound was not life threatening and the soldier's condition was stable.

"The soldier's family has been informed about the incident. As the operation is ongoing, however, defence is not able to release further information at this time," it said in a statement.

The shooting follows a major clash between Australian troops and the Taliban on Sunday night, during which commando Lance Corporal Jason Marks was killed and four others wounded.

The Defence Force today released further details of the action that led to the death of Lance Corporal Marks, 27.

Defence Force head Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said Sunday night's operation by the Special Operations Task Group was a deliberate, company-level clearance of an area suspected to contain a Taliban extremist group.

"During the course of this clearance, the lead platoon in the company was engaged by up to 20 Taliban extremists in three to four groups, armed with small arms and rocket propelled grenade launchers," he said in a statement.

"The enemy was operating from well-prepared positions that were dug in and with overhead protection.

"The Taliban fired from numerous locations including from positions on higher ground, killing Lance Corporal Marks and wounding four of his colleagues."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/another-soldier-shot/2008/04/30/1209234933819.html