Croatian soldier killed in Afghanistan

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - A Croatian soldier, who was injured in a Taliban-claimed attack in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, has succumbed to his wounds, an official statement said.

The confirmation came from the Croatian Ministry of Defense hours after the attack in Afghanistan.

Initially, the ministry had only confirmed three soldiers aged between 27 and 32 were wounded in the suicide car bombing. Later, Defense Minister Darmir Krsticevic confirmed the death of one soldier.

“I received this sad news with pain and weight in my heart. This moment deeply affects every member of the Croatian Army's family and the Croatian people,” he said in a statement.

Gen. Mirko Sundov, chief of general staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, also expressed condolences to the family of deceased member of the Croatian Army in Afghanistan.

Among an estimated 14,000 NATO soldiers in Afghanistan engaged in the Resolute Support mission, some 99 soldiers are from Croatia.

Earlier, claiming responsibility for the attack, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in a social media post that “scores of CIA agents have been killed” in the attack.