The US ambassador to Bulgaria, James B. Warlick, has expressed his sympathies to the families of injured Bulgarian soldiers, in the aftermath of the rocket attack on January 24 2010, which left four Bulgarian soldiers injured, one of whom critically.

"These four soldiers have served bravely side-by-side with their Nato counterparts as members of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at one of the most critical sites for the ISAF effort, the Kandahar airfield," the media statement, published on the US embassy website, said on January 25 2010.

The Bulgarian soldiers wounded are Junior Sergeant Alexander Alexandrov, Corporal Yordan Petkov, Private Yavor Kirilov and Private Luchezar Danailov. Alexandrov is reported to be in a coma.

Missiles launched with a timer mechanism landed at a Nato base in Kandahar after they were fired randomly at the base. The missile exploded in a Romanian army barracks next to the Bulgarian one. Reportedly, three foreign soldiers, presumably Romanians, were also hit.

Bulgarian military authorities have dismissed the possibility that the missile attack in Afghanistan was specifically targeted at Defence Minister Nikolai Mladenov, due to be officially appointed as Bulgaria's new Foreign Minister on January 27 2010 and who is currently on a visit to the country.

"We recognise the courage and the shared sacrifice that these soldiers and all Bulgarian soldiers in Afghanistan make every day in Kandahar and in Kabul," Warlick was quoted as saying.

"These brave soldiers and their families remain in our thoughts and prayers. We are proud to be working together with them and all Bulgarian soldiers as allies, partners, and friends, and we look forward to developing an even stronger partnership in the days and months ahead," the ambassador added.