Poland loses five soldiers in Afghanistan

    Poland joined the U.S. led mission in Afghanistan in 2002. As with other countries it has suffered a number of casualties as a result.
    Poland's contingent in the Afghan mission at present numbers around 2,500 in all. There have been 36 killed including these five recently killed.
    Reports from Ghazni southwest of Baghdad report they were killed by an exploding mine. The Taliban claim responsibility for the attack.
     Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk called the loss one of the most tragic events of the entire Polish mission. This is the largest attack on the Polish contingent so far. Many countries such as Canada have withdrawn troops or are withdrawing them. Security is supposed to be handed over to the Afghans in 2014 but there may be an agreement to allow troops to stay much longer.