Tongan troops unharmed in Camp Bastion attack [1]
Saturday, September 15, 2012 - 20:43. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Tongan soldiers serving with security forces at Camp Bastion military compound in Afghanistan are safe today, after there was a complex attack by heavily armed insurgents on an area of the camp on Friday night, in which two U.S. Marines were killed and several more wounded.
Brigadier General Tau'aika 'Uta'atu told Matangi Tonga this evening that he had received a short message from the Commander of the camp security for the British Forces today regarding the incident. "They passed a message from Commander Savelio that all the Tongans are accounted for and there were no injuries."
Tonga's 4th Contingent of 55 marines, including three women, have been stationed at Camp Bastion since May, where under a NATO-led mission Tongan troops are carrying out base security for the British.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials have reported that the attack last night was by heavily-armed insurgents and involved a range of weaponry, including mortars, rockets or rocket-propelled grenades, as well as small arms fire, and occurred near an airfield on the north-east side of the base, which houses American forces in Camp Leatherneck. A number of aircraft, hangars and other buildings at the base were reportedly hit and badly damaged by insurgent fire.
Camp Bastion is a huge, heavily fortified base in the middle of the desert and is shared with troops from many countries. It is the logistics hub for operations in Helmand.
Tonga's 4th Contingent will be replaced in November by a 5th Contingent to Afghanistan, led by Capt Fonokalafi , who left Tonga yesterday, September 14, for pre deployment training in the United Kingdom.