From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Jan 13 2005 - 14:08:02 EST
First Kazakh Soldier Killed in Iraq, Four Wounded
Captain Kairat Kudabayev of the Kazakh military contingent in Iraq was
killed in an explosion on January 9. The explosion also wounded four
other contingent members, and was the the first fatality for the
contingent since its deployment in 2003. The same explosion also killed
seven Ukrainian soldiers and wounded seven more.
An explosives demolition team made up of Kazakhs and Ukrainians were
called in by the police authorities of the city of as-Suwaira in the
province of Wasit to remove and destroy a major munitions cache.
The team removed 35 aerial bombs and other explosives found in the town
to a demolition field on the outskirts and were preparing to destroy
them when some of the ordnance detonated.
The Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan expressed condolences to the family
of Captain Kudabayev, and announced the Captain will be awarded the
Order of Aibyn (Valor) posthumously and his family will receive
financial assistance. His body was flown to Kazakhstan for funeral
services. The Captain, from Astana, leaves behind a pregnant wife and a
young daughter.
Donald H. Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defense, sent a letter to Army
Gen. Mukhtar Altynbayev, Kazakhstan's Minister of Defense, writing: "I
have just learned of the death of one of your brave soldiers during
explosive ordnance disposal in Iraq, and I am deeply saddened. Please
accept our condolences on his sacrifice, which is of great importance to
the cause of freedom."
The four wounded Kazakh soldiers wore body armor during the explosion
and suffered injuries to extremities. They are being treated at a
Coalition hospital in Baghdad. One soldier has already been released,
and the other three are recovering quickly.
Kazakh army engineers have been in Iraq since August 2003, and in that
time have destroyed more than 3 million pieces of ordnance. To date,
there have been three groups of 27 engineers rotated in and out of Iraq.
Army General Altynbayev confirmed the fourth group of Kazakh engineers
is "getting prepared to leave for Iraq" to replace the contingent
already there.
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