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Two New Zealand soldiers injured in Afghanistan when a weapon accidentally discharged inside a vehicle are recovering in Germany after receiving treatment.
One of the soldiers was thought to be climbing into an Army Humvee on Sunday when his high-powered Steyr rifle accidentally went off, shooting him and a fellow soldier.
The soldier with the gun was hit in the leg. The second soldier was hit in the arm and side.
Four Army personnel were inside the Humvee returning to their Bamyan base on Monday after escorting foreign nationals to a Kabul airfield when the incident occurred.
Defence Force spokesman Captain Zac Prendergast said the soldiers were evacuated to a coalition treatment centre in Germany on Monday night.
The pair are at Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre near Ramstein Air Force Base.
"The serviceman with the injured arm has undergone surgery. Both soldiers' conditions have been described as stable and comfortable. They are in good spirits, talking to each other and resting," he said.
Further medical treatment and recovery was planned, he said, and a more detailed assessment of the medical fitness of each soldier would be made at a later date.
Major-General Rhys Jones, commander joint forces New Zealand, said on Monday that both soldiers were expected to return to Afghanistan once they recovered. The incident was being investigated.
- NZPA
