Aussie soldier's killer still on the run

SYDNEY (AAP) - The killer of Australian soldier Andrew Jones remains on the run, almost two days after shooting the 25-year-old dead inside an allied base in Afghanistan.
United States, NATO and Australian forces are hunting for the unnamed Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier who shot the army cook four times before fleeing the Chora Valley base where he had been working alongside the Australians.
Despite the devastating breach in trust, Defence Minister Stephen Smith was quick to reaffirm the relationship between Australia and the ANA.
"As the dust settles, our soldiers on the ground and our commanders in Afghanistan are working closely with Brigadier General (Zafar) Khan, the commander of the 4th Brigade, to capture the soldier who's committed the atrocity," Mr Smith told Sky News on Wednesday.
More details of the killing were made public by Mr Smith as early investigations into the incident continued.
Mr Smith said Lance Corporal Jones was shot four times, not three as originally announced by Defence Chief Angus Houston on Tuesday.
He was shot while walking below the watchtower from where the renegade Afghan fired the bullets.
Further east, in Zabul province, investigations continued into the death of officer Lieutenant Marcus Case.
The 27-year-old died when a Chinook helicopter, carrying five other Australians, crashed.
"A review of known facts by ADF personnel in Afghanistan today has concluded that there was no evidence of insurgent activity in the vicinity of the incident site or on the immediate flight path before the crash," defence said in a short statement.
The five other Australians have recovered well and have been released from hospital, Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Ash Power said.
As the bodies of both soldiers are prepared for their final journey home, parliament stopped to remember the contributions of the 25th and 26th diggers to die in the near decade-long war.
After quoting from statements from both the Jones and Case families, Prime Minister Julia Gillard described both men as "professionals, trained to serve".
"These days are very hard," she said.
But Australia could not withdraw from a war that began in the wake of the September 11 attacks against the US, she said.
"It's in our nation's interest to continue our deployment in Afghanistan to make sure that Afghanistan does not again become a safe haven for terrorists," Ms Gillard said.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott supported the prime minister's comments, highlighting the service of both soldiers in East Timor prior to their time in Afghanistan.
"In expressing our grief to the families and friends of these dead, brave soldiers we should also express our appreciation for their professionalism, their selflessness and their devotion to duty," he said.