'Insider' Attack Takes the Life of US Service Member in Afghanistan
An American service member is dead and another was seriously injured in an attack in Afghanistan that the military is saying was an inside job, Stars and Stripes reported.
The attack took place in the eastern portion of the country, a statement from the Resolute Support Mission said.
“The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him,” Resolute Support and U.S. Forces — Afghanistan Commanding Gen. Scott Miller said in the news release.
“Our duty now is to honor him, care for his family and continue our mission.”
https://twitter.com/ResoluteSupport/status/1036632508354441218
Another service member involved in the attack was in stable condition, the statement read.
“This is the sixth American killed in Afghanistan this year, according to the news release,” Stars and Stripes reported.
However, it’s the first killed under Miller’s command in the country.
Miller took over from Army Gen. John Nicholson on Sunday in Kabul. Nicholson had been in charge of the Resolute Support Mission — which is the official name given to the advise and support mission in Afghanistan — for two years.
“Additional information about the incident was not released and the name of the servicemember who was killed will be released 24 hours after his relatives have been notified,” the statement said.
According to The Associated Press, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the administration was aware of the situation.
President Donald Trump, she said, had been briefed on the situation by Chief of Staff John Kelly.
The reason the attack was believed to be an insider job was not available as of Monday afternoon.
According to NBC News, this also hasn’t been the first insider attack to claim the life of a serivce member in Afghanistan during 2018.
Cpl. Joseph Maciel was killed in a July attack that wounded two other service members.
The Taliban terrorist group — which didn’t claim responsibility for that attack — said that the killing at Tarinkot Airport in Uruzgan was carried out by a member of Afghani security forces.
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