NZers in Afghanistan bomb scare

New Zealand defence personnel and a Television New Zealand film crew in Afghanistan were involved in a bomb scare while on bomb disposal patrol in Afghanistan overnight New Zealand time.

A single New Zealand bomb disposal expert and a One News reporter and cameraman were at the scene when one of three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in the city of Kosh in eastern Afghanistan exploded, a NZ defence spokesman said.

No one was injured in the explosion which damaged a robotic unit being used by the counter-IED patrol to disable the devices.

The patrol, which included Nato personnel, also encountered sporadic small arms and mortar fire when returning to base.

The spokesman described the attack as "sporadic and ineffective".

ONE News' defence reporter, Michael Parkin and cameraman Blair Martin - both of TVNZ Wellington - were travelling with the bomb disposal experts as part of an assignment covering the work NZ soldiers are doing in Afghanistan,said a TVNZ spokesperson

- NZPA