Reuters, UK
Nov 11 2006

Two soldiers killed in Polish-led zone in Iraq
Sat 11 Nov 2006 12:17:49 GMT

WARSAW, Nov 11 (Reuters) – One Polish and one Slovak soldier were
killed by a roadside bomb in south-central Iraq late on Friday,
Polish officials said on Saturday.

The bomb exploded near the town of Al Kut in Wasit province as a
multinational convoy was returning to base, PAP news agency quoted a
military spokesman as saying. Polish troops are leading a
stabilisation mission in that part of Iraq.

"A Polish soldier, Sergeant Tomasz Murkowski, and a Slovak Sergeant
Rastislav Neplech, were killed when the vehicle in which they were
travelling was blown up by a roadside bomb," Lt-Col Dariusz
Kacperczyk said.

Another Polish soldier and an Armenian soldier were wounded in the
attack and rushed to hospital by helicopter. Kacperczyk said they
were in stable condition but gave no details.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski said the casualties would strengthen
Poland’s resolve to help its western allies police the world’s
trouble spots.

Poland has some 900 troops in Iraq and has pledged to increase its
presence in Afghanistan to 1,000 troops in 2007 from the current 100.

"We are not in such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon or Bosnia
for fun," said Kaczynski, speaking at a military ceremony marking the
end of World War I, a Polish national holiday.

"We are there because that is required by our raison d’etat, by
international solidarity in today’s world," he said.

Murkowski’s death brings the number of Poles killed so far in Iraq to
22.