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Showing posts with label guards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guards. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2011

William and Kate honor Irish Guards

London (CNN) -- Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, presented medals Saturday to soldiers of the Irish Guards who have served in Afghanistan.


The ceremony in the town of Windsor was the first time Prince William had visited the regiment since he was appointed colonel of the Irish Guards in February.


Six soldiers from the regiment performed ceremonial duties at the couple's wedding in April.


About 400 Irish Guards received operational medals during the ceremony, British media reported, with the duke and duchess pausing to speak to each soldier as they presented them.


Afterwards, Prince William spoke of his "pride and humility" as he paid tribute to the soldiers' service.


"I am proud to be your colonel. I am humbled by the thought of the sacrifices that you and your families have made and the losses that you have suffered -- all in the service of our country," he said.


"Along with thousands of others back home, I followed your tour in Afghanistan with a mounting sense of awe."


The duke and duchess also presented the families of three fallen servicemen with the Elizabeth Cross, a medal granted to the relatives of military personnel killed on operations. The couple spoke to the families privately before the medal parade.


It was the first time the duchess had carried out a military role as a member of the royal family.


The 1st Battalion Irish Guards returned in April from a six-month tour in Afghanistan. Their responsibilities included helping mentor the Afghan National Army.

The regiment, which is based at the Victoria Barracks in Windsor, was formed in 1900 by order of Queen Victoria.


CNN

Friday, April 1, 2011

3 guards killed at NATO terminal in N.W. Pakistan

By Mohammad Sajjad, AP

Pakistan army soldiers cordon off the area after a suicide bomb attack near Peshawar on Friday.

EnlargeCloseBy Mohammad Sajjad, AP

Pakistan army soldiers cordon off the area after a suicide bomb attack near Peshawar on Friday.

The militants killed the guards by slitting their throats, said government administrator Akbar Khan. The attack took place in the town of Landi Kotal, close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Much of the non-lethal supplies for the war effort in Afghanistan come via Pakistan after being unloaded at the Arabian Sea port of Karachi in the south. Taliban militants often attack NATO supply trucks in Pakistan, though the vast majority of the goods are untouched.

Later Friday, a suicide bomber killed a young boy in the northwestern town of Darra Adam Khel after being chased into a house, said Khalid Khan, the top official in the area.

Residents spotted the bomber suspiciously roaming around a mosque before Friday prayers. They fired shots at him after he ran into a house and then heard a loud explosion.

It was unclear if the bomber detonated his explosives himself or if they were triggered by the gunfire, said Khan. The blast killed a young boy in the house and wounded five other people, he said.

No group has claimed responsibility for sending the bomber, but Taliban militants have staged attacks in Darra Adam Khel in the past.

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