New Zealand troops deny damaging Afghan Buddha remains

WELLINGTON (AFP) - The New Zealand Defence Force denied claims Sunday that its troops damaged the remains of Afghanistan's famous Bamiyan Buddha statues while carrying out a controlled explosion.

Spokesman Captain Zac Prendergast confirmed to Radio New Zealand that the troops disposed of a live rocket in the area but said all care was taken and there was no damage.

A Bamiyan province official had blamed the New Zealand troops, serving with a Nato-led force and a UN-led disarmament group, for causing further damage to the statues, virtually destroyed by Taliban militants seven years ago.

Najibullah Harar, head of the information and culture department in Bamiyan province, said the blast damaged the smaller of the two historic structures, a 38-metre-tall (125-foot) statue.

"The explosion has caused damage to the remains of one of the Buddhas," Harrar said.

"It has also destroyed a historic wall around the smaller statue.

But Prendergast said the New Zealand team assessed the site and found it was unlikely there was damage to the surrounding area.

"They surrounded the area and covered the rocket with sandbags and when they had effected the detonation the crater was the size of a small puddle," he said.

"The sandbags on top have restricted the blast."

The Taliban virtually destroyed the nearly 2000-year-old Buddhas months before their regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in late 2001.

The Islamic militia, which ruled much of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, blew up the structures citing a strict Islamic law that bans statues.

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