South Asia News
Norwegian officer killed in Afghan firefight (Roundup)
By DPA
Jul 23, 2007, 14:55 GMT

Oslo - A Norwegian officer was killed Monday in a firefight in Afghanistan, the Norwegian Defence Staff said.

The Norwegian was a lieutenant in his 30s who was on reconnaissance with a group from Norwegian special forces and Afghan security forces in Lowgar province, Defence Staff spokesman Jan Reksten told reporters.

The 'small group' of Norwegians were on a 'routine mission' when they were attacked, Reksten said, adding that the incident occurred at 9 am local Afghan time (0430 GMT).

Lowgar is located in central Afghanistan, south of the capital Kabul and the some 150-strong Norwegian special forces were part of the NATO-led ISAF force.

Reksten said a memorial ceremony was planned late Monday in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen expressed their condolences in a joint statement.

Strom-Erichsen said the Norwegian special forces made a 'impressive contribution' to increase stability in Afghanistan.

A Norwegian soldier, also with the ISAF-led forces, was killed in 2004.

In May, a Finnish peacekeeper was killed and four Norwegians injured in a blast near Maimana.