KEY POINTS:
An Australian commando was killed in a clash with Taleban militia in Afghanistan yesterday, a day before Australians vote in national elections.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been a leading issue in the election campaign.
The 26-year-old soldier was the third Australian killed in recent months in Afghanistan's restive Uruzgan province.
Australia, a close US ally, was one of the first nations to commit troops in late 2001 to the US-led war to oust the Taleban and al Qaeda militants from Afghanistan. It also has about 1500 troops in and around Iraq.
Australia's Labor opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq but keep soldiers in Afghanistan.
Opinion polls show Australians are widely opposed to both wars, and have begun to lose faith in Prime Minister John Howard's tough security stance, which has won him previous elections.
- Reuters
