UPDATE: A Czech soldier who was seriously injured by a suicide blast in Afghanistan last week and transported to the Czech Republic on Sunday has died today in the morning hours, said Czech general military staff spokesman Jan Sulc.
Another four Czech soldiers were killed immediately by the blast.
The original article from July 8 is here:
Kabul - A suicide attacker killed 16 people, including four NATO troops and two police officers, near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan's Parwan Province. The DPA agency reported that the four killed soldiers were Czech nationals, and the Czech general military staff eventually confirmed the report.
Another Czech soldier was seriously injured by the explosion and transported to the US hospital at the Bagram base, said the general staff.
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The attack took place at around 5:15 AM (CET) when a patrol of several vehicles was conducting routine duties near the base, said the Czech military.
The Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up when riding a bicycle near the soldiers, the Parwan province governor's spokesman Vahid Sidikki told DPA.
It is the worst one-time loss of life for Czech forces in international peace missions so far. In total nine Czech soldiers have been killed and 26 injured in Afghanistan since the Czech military has been present in the Asian country.
Czech government and opposition politicians and the president have offered their condolences to the families of the killed soldiers and stressed the necessity of providing them with assistance. They also said that the tragedy should not lead to questioning of the Czech role in international peacekeeping missions.
Premier Bohuslav Sobotka said the incident was a “tragic and shocking development” and the killed soldiers were heroes. He added that the incident should not lead to discussions about redefining the Czech contribution to the Afghan mission.
The premier has also asked the defense minister, Martin Stropnicky, to make sure that great care is taken of the soldier who sustained serious injuries during the blast.
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