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The New York Times senior correspondent for Afghanistan posted on Twitter that a “combined U.S. and Afghan force” received direct fire during an operation in Nangarhar Province, in eastern Afghanistan.
Newsweek reported that a U.S. official informed them that “at least two U.S. troops were killed and six more wounded, while Afghan forces suffered nine fatalities.”
These U.S. troops were from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. According to Newsweek’s report, these troops along with members of the allied Afghan Special Operations Forces were meeting with leaders in a local community when they received fire. According to reporters, this attack is a “green-on-blue” incident, which means it was “perpetrated by a member or members of the partnered Afghan security forces against U.S. troops.”
The LATEST from @JimLaPorta and myself: US & Afghanistan special operations forces killed in “green on blue” ambush in Sherzad district, Nangarhar province. 2 KIA from US 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group & 9 KIA from Afghan Special Operations Forces t.co/dY9Lvea58U
The spokesman for the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, Col. Sonny Leggett, said in a statement that the wounded service members were in a U.S. facility receiving treatment, as reported on Twitter by a journalist. As per the statement, “in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members killed in action will be withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete.”
The two service members killed have been named as Sgt. 1st Class Javier Gutierrez and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rodriguez.
The incident in question is still under investigation, and the statement indicates that the U.S. military is still gathering information regarding the cause or motive for the attack. What is known so far is that it took place in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province. Leggett’s statement explains that after an event with community leaders, “current reports indicate an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun.”
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