Three Australian special forces soldiers have been wounded in a shoot-out with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, with two needing to be flown to Australia for treatment.
The soldiers from the Special Operations Task Group, which includes the SAS regiment and the 2nd Commando regiment, were on an operation to ''disrupt insurgent networks'' in Uruzgan province on Saturday.
They were fired upon by insurgents, a Defence statement said. One soldier suffered a bullet wound to the lower leg.
During a later firefight, another soldier was shot in the hand. They were treated at the site, then evacuated by helicopter to the main base at Tarin Kowt. Both are in a satisfactory condition, the statement said.
Plans are being made to fly them to Australia for specialised treatment. A third soldier was wounded ''as a consequence of the conduct of the operation'' the statement said, without elaborating. He was treated at the scene and made a full recovery.
Thirty-nine Australian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and 246 seriously wounded. The troops have largely withdrawn from the patrol to the base at Tarin Kowt.