Events | 2009.09.09
British soldier killed in Afghan rescue of abducted journalist
Gordon Brown pays tribute to courage of soldier killed in operation to free New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell
A British soldier serving with the special forces support group has been killed during a pre-dawn raid to free a British journalist being held by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, it was confirmed today.
The reporter\'s interpreter also died in the operation.
Stephen Farrell, a New York Times journalist, and his translator, Sultan Munadi, were captured last Saturday as they reported on the aftermath of a Nato air strike in which at least 70 people were killed.
Early today, Farrell said he had been "extracted" after a helicopter carrying British and Afghan soldiers swooped on a compound near the northern city of Kunduz.
"We were all in a room, the Talibs all ran ... it was obviously a raid," the 46-year-old told his editors in New York .
The Kunduz governor\'s office confirmed that the raid had been led by British special forces.
Military officials told the Guardian that the soldier who died was a member of the special forces support group.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a British soldier, believed to be a paratrooper, was killed during the operation. Two Afghan civilians were killed in the crossfire, the BBC reported.
"We regret to announce that a British soldier has been killed on operations in Afghanistan," an MoD spokesman said.
The number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001 now stands at 213, with 41 having died in July and August.
A spokesman for Gordon Brown said the prime minister had spoken to the UK\'s leading military commander in Afghanistan, General Jim Dutton, "to thank the [rescue] team for the tremendous effort".
In a statement, the prime minister paid tribute to the courage of the British soldier who was killed in the raid. "His family has been informed, and our immediate thoughts are with them. His bravery will not be forgotten," said Brown.
Brown said Farrell was "now safe and well, receiving support from embassy staff and undergoing medical checks."
He also expressed regret that Munadi died during the operation and sent his condolences to his family.
Farrell said he and Munadi fled the Taliban compound as the Nato helicopter approached. "We thought they would kill us. We thought should we go out," he told a colleague in Kabul.
The two men sprinted for cover, protected from flying bullets by a wall. Munadi moved forward, shouting: "Journalist ... journalist!" but fell in a hail of bullets, Farrell said.
The journalist dived into a ditch and, hearing a British voice, shouted: "British journalist!"
As he ran towards the voice, he saw Munadi had been killed. It was unclear whether the translator was hit by Taliban or military fire.
"He was lying in the same position as he fell," Farrell said. "That\'s all I know. I saw him go down in front of me. He did not move. He\'s dead.
"He was so close, he was just two feet in front of me when he dropped."
Shortly afterwards, Farrell – who was unhurt – rang the foreign editor of the New York Times. "I\'m out – I\'m free," he said.
The journalist, who has joint British and Irish nationality, arrived in Afghanistan recently after several years working in Baghdad and across the Middle East. He had previously worked for the Times.
Munadi was an experienced translator who was at home on holidays when he agreed to accompany Farrell to Kunduz. In his early 30s, he was married, with two young sons.
The New York Times and other media organisations did not publicise the kidnap of the men last Saturday in order to facilitate negotiations with the Taliban commander who captured them.
The kidnappings and death reflect the increasing danger of reporting in Afghanistan, where another New York Times journalist, David Rohde, was abducted in November.
After being moved to a safe house across the border in Pakistan\'s tribal belt, Rohde and his translator, Tahir Ludin, managed to escape last June.
Rohde, a Pulitzer prize winner, described Munadi as "an extraordinary journalist, colleague and human being".
He was quoted as saying that he "represented the best of Afghanistan", adding: "It was an honour to work with him."
Farrell and Munadi were investigating the aftermath of an incident in which US jets, acting on German intelligence, bombed oil tankers, sparking a huge explosion.
Yesterday, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel said her government deeply regretted the deaths of Afghan civilians in the strike.
Her comments came as Nato acknowledged for the first time that Afghan civilians were among those killed when the jets attacked the hijacked tankers near Kunduz.
The national watchdog group Afghan Rights Monitor said between 60 and 70 Afghan villagers were killed.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep[...]ish-soldier-killed-afghanistan
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