Dutch soldier suffers gunshot wound to the chest during repair work in Iraq
A Dutch soldier in Iraq was seriously injured after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. The incident happened on Sunday afternoon while weapons maintenance was underway, the Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed a few hours later.
The soldier was airlifted to a Baghdad military hospital in critical condition. “One of my men was injured in Iraq today. My thoughts are with him, his family and colleagues. I am monitoring the situation closely,” said Onno Eichlsheim, the Commander of the Armed Forces, in a message on Twitter.
The case is under investigation by the Marechaussee, according to media outlets in the Netherlands.
The soldier is part of the 11th Airmobile Brigade, and is part of the Dutch unit that secures the airport in Erbil, Iraq. “About 120 Dutch soldiers are protecting Erbil Airbase and the surrounding area,” the ministry said.
The soldier’s unit includes a rapid response force, and is responsible for the safety of the coalition force personnel in the area.
