Afghan Insurgents Target US Military with Booby Trap, But They Forgot About Airstrikes
Taliban-linked insurgents lured the U.S. military to a meeting and then opened fire, wounding a U.S. soldier, but earning the wrath of a coalition airstrike in response.
The insurgents reportedly lured a U.S. soldier, an Afghan militia leader and Afghan interpreter to a so-called security meeting on Thursday, according to U.S. Navy Capt. Tom Gresback.
As soon as the meeting finished, the insurgents, disguised as members of a local militia, opened fire, immediately killing the militia leader and wounding the U.S. soldier, The Associated Press reported.
The soldier is in stable condition, according to CBS News.
The Taliban told the AP that it had infiltrated the militia months ago in preparation for the attack.
Not long after the attack took place, the U.S.-led coalition struck the insurgent compound in Nangarhar Province, killing 10 insurgents in retribution.
The mission took place in Mohmand Valley in Nangarhar Province, an area that has been unstable as of late.
As noted by CBS News, the region has seen activity from an affiliate of the Islamic State group.
Moreover, Afghan residents have started to relocate back to this area after being forced out in 2015 by the Islamic State of Khorasan.
CBS national security correspondent David Martin reported that the Afghan militia was established with the intent of providing a boost of confidence to the Afghan people in the area.
The Pentagon is reportedly planning on sending an extra 1,000 combat advisers to the region, as well as new armed and unarmed drones in preparation for the fighting season that begins in the spring, according to The Wall Street Journal.
It’s possible to send more military hardware to Afghanistan due to drawdowns in Iraq and Syria in response to the rapid decline of the Islamic State group, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.
However, there is consternation from U.S. military planners about resource shifting, as they don’t want an insurgency to restart in Iraq and Syria.
The rapid decline of the Islami State group in Iraq and Syria will likely continue as Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis recently unveiled an “annihilation” strategy against the group.
“Our strategy right now is to accelerate the campaign against ISIS. It is a threat to all civilized nations,” Mattis said. “We have already shifted from attrition tactics where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria to annihilation tactics where we surround them.
“Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight,” he added.
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation Website. The piece has been lightly edited by The Western Journal for content purposes.
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