Politicians praise Czech soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Baku, July 9 (AZERTAC). Czech politicians have said the death of four Czech soldiers in Afghanistan was a tragedy and a shocking piece of news and they praised their heroism, saying it deserves respect and admiration.
They said the tragedy will not affect the deployment Czech soldiers in Afghanistan, but some opposition representatives used the opportunity to criticize the country’s participation in foreign missions which, they said, only produce unnecessary victims.
Four Czech soldiers died in the blast of a bomb and another Czech soldier received serious injuries when patrolling the surroundings of the Bagram base in the Afghan province of Parwan. Responsibility for the suicide attack was claimed by Taliban.
“This is a very sad piece of news for both the Czech government and the whole Czech Republic,” Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said.
“I would like to praise the heroism of the soldiers who fell in fulfilling a military mission, in the defense of the principles that the Czech Republic has long been defending, that is the principles of freedom and democracy,” Sobotka said.
He said the mandate of the Afghan mission has been approved and it is not changing.
“President of the Republic Milos Zeman expresses deep sympathy to the families of the fallen Czech soldiers and a deep respect for their fight against international terrorism,” Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said in a press release.
Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) said the government will provide the dead soldiers’ families all with necessary aid.
Chamber of Deputies head Jan Hamacek and Senate chairman Milanstech(both CSSD) also praised the Czech soldiers.
Stech said the tragic event has shown that “the fight against international terrorism in all its forms is far from ending, rather on the contrary.”
U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic Norman Eisen said the United States stands by its friends and allies at this difficult moment and also by those who are working with Afghan partners for the fulfillment of the common goal, which is a sovereign, stable, safe and democratic Afghanistan.
Parvana Garayeva
Special Correspondent in Budapest
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