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Sunday 19 June 2011

US special forces kill rogue Afghan soldier who shot dead Aussie cook

American Special Forces in Afghanistan have shot and killed the Afghan soldier who killed Lance-Corporal Andrew Jones.
The Australian soldier, aged 25, was shot on May 30 in Afghanistan by the rogue member of the Afghan army who was in a watchtower on sentry duty.
The circumstances of the Lance-Cpl Jones’s death are not clear, but it seems the Afghan soldier - Shafied Ullah  -  had only been at the patrol base for a few weeks.
Tribute ... mourners carry Lance Corporal Andrew Jones's coffin. Tribute ... mourners carry Lance Corporal Andrew Jones's coffin. Photo: Craig Sillitoe
He shot the Australian three times, as Lance-Cpl Jones stepped out of his tent, and then fled the patrol base, evading shots from another Afghan soldier and a search.
Australian troops were on a long term deployment with the American Special Forces unit that tracked the Afghan soldier to his home village in Khost Province, close to the Pakistan border.
It’s understood he was shot after a warning was given for him to surrender.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said Shafied Ullah was with his brother at time Coalition forces approached him. He drew his pistol before being shot and killed. His brother was been detained and is being questioned, he said.
Mr Smith said he was confident Coalition forces had got the right man.
"We are proceding conclusively on the basis that the murderer of Lance-Corporal Andrew Jones has himself been killed," he said, adding Shafied Ullah had been biometrically scanned to confirm his identity.
Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said despite intentions to detain Shafied Ullah, his death could not be avoided after he posed a direct threat to the Coalition Special Forces team carrying out the mission.
“I understand from reporting received this morning that Shafied Ullah drew a pistol when confronted by the Coalition Special Forces team and was shot and killed,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
“Across the Coalition and the Afghan National Security Forces, there has been tremendous efforts directed towards bringing the man suspected of the shooting to justice and for that support I personally thank General Petraeus and General Karimi.
 “While it gives me no great pleasure that Shafied Ullah is dead, I am pleased that this man no longer poses a threat.
 “The family of Lance Corporal Andrew Jones have been advised and they have requested that the media respect their privacy at this time.”
The Age has confirmed that since 2001, Australians from the SAS and Commando regiments have served on ''third country deployments'' and in turn have fought alongside some of the most highly classified and best-trained combat groups in Afghanistan. Crucially, the Australian troops have been refused permission to participate in cross-border raids into Pakistan.
Australia’s Defence Minister will give more details at a press conference shortly.
Lance-Cpl Jones, from Victoria, was the cook with the 9th Force Support Battalion and the 25th Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan.
His funeral was held in Melbourne earlier this month.

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