Coalition special forces have killed a rogue Afghanistan soldier suspected of killing Australian soldier Lance Corporal Andrew Jones last month, Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith confirmed on Monday
Jones, aged 25, was shot four times by the Afghanistan soldier, named as Shafied Ullah on May 30 in Afghanistan. Jones was the 25th Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan since 2001.
Ullah was fired at by another Afghan serviceman as he fled the scene, but the shot missed and a manhunt was launched.
On Monday, Smith confirmed Ullah was killed during a recentjoint operation between U.S. special forces and Afghan troops near his home village in the Khowst province of eastern Afghanistan.
"The knowledge that Shafied Ullah has been killed and no longer poses a risk in Afghanistan it will of course be a terrible reminder to the family of Lance Corporal Jones' tragic death," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
Smith said it would have been preferred if the Afghan soldier had been taken alive and brought in for interrogation.
Smith Ullah's brother, who was with him when he was killed, has been detained and is being interrogated to shed light on why his brother shot Lance Corporal Jones.
Smith added that "all of the evidence and advice" pointed to the soldier being the murderer.
"We are proceeding conclusively on the basis that the murderer of Lance Corporal Jones has himself been killed," Smith said.
Meanwhile, Air Chief Marshal Houston said Ullah's death closes a chapter in the tragic death of Lance Corporal Jones.
"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," he said.
Australian Defense Force is continuing to investigate the shooting of Lance Corporal Jones.
Editor: Zhang Xiang
English.news.cn 2011-06-20 21:20:42 FeedbackPrintRSS
CANBERRA, June 20 (Xinhua)
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