"The Australian Defence Force says a number of Australian soldiers have been injured by a road bomb in Afghanistan.

Some of the injuries are serious and there are reports that one soldier has been killed.

The Australian Defence Force has refused to confirm the reported fatality.

NATO command in Afghanistan says one international soldier in the province has been killed and another wounded, along with three children, in what it calls a suicide attack.

If the death is confirmed as an Australian casualty, the soldier would be the first Australian to die from direct action in the military campaigns under way in either Afghanistan or Iraq.

The attack happened earlier today in the Oruzgan province, west of the capital Kabul. The soldiers were on patrol when an improvised explosive device was detonated.

Australia's Defence Department is waiting for more details about the incident.

The Australian Government has been warning about possible casualties after a spate of recent attacks.

Last month two Special Forces soldiers were wounded when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Hundreds of Australian soldiers in the province provide security for a Reconstruction Task Force in partnership with Dutch troops.

They are based at Camp Holland, near the town of Tarin Kowt.

Taliban militias occupy large areas of the province and have been involved in heavy clashes with Australian forces in recent weeks."

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...08/2054092.htm