Minister confirms SAS troops home

By JOHN ARMSTRONG

The Army's elite SAS soldiers have ended their deployment in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Defence Minister Mark Burton confirmed yesterday that the troops returned on Friday last week, ending the 12-month deployment.

Despite the winding up of that particular contribution to the United States-led campaign against terrorism, Mr Burton refused to give details of the SAS' role in Afghanistan, including how many troops were involved.

Thirty to 40 SAS troops were thought to have been serving in Afghanistan at any one time.

"They spent the past 12 months facing some very real dangers in an exceptionally harsh environment which tested their skills and training," Mr Burton said.

"They met and enhanced the very highest standards of the New Zealand infantry tradition."

He did say the soldier who had his foot amputated after his vehicle hit a land mine was "making good progress", and he had a future in the Army.

National yesterday called for the amalgamation of the SAS and the police's special tactics group, saying it made more sense to have all of New Zealand's counter-terrorist capacity integrated in one unit.

As part of a continuing contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom, the frigate Te Kaha is bound for the Gulf, at Washington's request, to join a taskforce of warships charged with boarding vessels suspected of carrying al Qaeda terrorists.

An Air Force Orion surveillance aircraft, crew and support staff are also being contributed for marine patrols from next April in the Arabian Sea and adjacent waters.

Herald feature: Defence