Details of bomb used to kill soldiers revealed

Fresh details are being revealed about the bomb used to kill three New Zealand soldiers in Afghanistan.

Corporal Luke Tamatea, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, and Private Richard Harris, died after roadside bomb detonated next to their vehicle while taking a colleague to a doctor in the northern part of Bamyan province yesterday.

Prime Minister John Key says a very large bomb was used by the Taliban.

"Not only very sophisticated but this was a very large bomb, over 20kg of explosives as we understand it so it's a very significant bomb."

Mr Key says it's important the bomb maker be intercepted and his activities ceased.

The Prime Minister maintains New Zealand has a moral and professional responsibility not to cut and run from Afghanistan.

Mr Key says he wants to bring the troops home safely but says the exit has to be done in a professional and considered way.

"Yes we need to make that the shortest time frame that we can but we have to do it with our partners and if we don't then the message that we send is that it's time to run for the exit and if we do that then the thousands of people that have lost their lives have been in vain."

Afghan Police are to have the main responsibility for locating a bomb maker at large in Bamyan province.

The Defence Force confirms they're aware a Taliban bomb maker is in the area.

Chief of the Defence Force Lieutenant General Rhys Jones says the pursuit of the bomb maker is primarily a responsibility for the province's police but our forces are helping them to track him.

"So yes we're actively supporting them, but ultimately it's a police responsibility to disrupt and to make those arrests."

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says they've recently sent an explosive experts team to the area to try to make it safer

"There's been the option given to the CDF, the chief of the defence force to do wider patrols, we've also bolstered up the intelligence side of things a little bit," he told Newstalk ZB's Larry Williams.

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