German and Danish soldiers killed defusing Kabul missiles

Five alliance soldiers, three Danes and two Germans, were killed in Kabul today when anti-aircraft missiles they were trying to defuse exploded

In addition to the dead, seven soldiers were injured, three of them seriously, said General Harald Kujat, Germany’s top soldier.

He said the soldiers were attempting to destroy two Russian-made SA-3 ground-to-air missiles with a controlled explosion at a munitions collection point about three miles from the German military base in the Afghan capital.

'‘Apparently, the explosion went off early,’’ he said in Berlin. ‘‘The soldiers were still in the area close to the two missiles.’’

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed condolences to the families of the dead soldiers, calling it a tragic accident. He said, however, that the accident should not raise questions about Germany’s deployment in the region.

‘‘It was a task that did not have anything to do with military conflict. There is no reason to question the mission,’’ Schroeder said.

Kujat, the inspector-general of the German armed forces, said it appeared soldiers were observing safety regulations, adding that he had no evidence of sabotage.

‘‘This was an accident,’’ he said.

More than 700 German soldiers are part of the international security force deployed in and around the Afghan capital. About 50 Danish soldiers specialising mine clearing were sent to Afghanistan in January.

Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping cut short a trip to Djibouti to return to Berlin. The SA-3 has a range of 11 miles and weighs 2,100 pounds. It was designed to destroy aircraft, cruise missiles, assault helicopters and other targets at low or medium altitudes.