Two U.S. service members and one Afghan soldier were killed in Afghanistan in what’s been called an insider attack Saturday, when an individual dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on the troops.
Six other U.S. soldiers and three Afghan troops were wounded in the attack in the Nangarhar province, the Pentagon said.
An Afghan defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the gunman, an Afghan soldier, had argued with the American troops before he began to fire. It is not believed the shooter was a Taliban infiltrator.
The Pentagon said in a statement after the attack that “an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun.”
“We are still collecting information and the cause or motive behind the attack is unknown at this time. The incident is under investigation,” the Pentagon said.
The Afghan Defense Ministry also is conducting a review of the attack, according to a ministry spokesperson.
The Defense Department on Sunday said the service members who were killed were Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez of San Antonio, Texas; and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Both were 28 years old and assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Saturday’s deaths mark the sixth U.S. casualties in Afghanistan since the start of 2020. Last year, 22 troops were killed during combat in the country.
The 18-year Afghan war is the longest in American history, but the U.S.-backed Kabul government is still struggling to rebuild the economy or subdue the radical Islamist Taliban insurgency.
The latest attack came amid ongoing peace talks with the Taliban and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul.
President Trump has pushed for an agreement that would withdraw some of the more than 12,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but both sides have walked away once a deal appeared close.
The withdrawal of American forces has been a key demand of Taliban leaders throughout the negotiation process, while the U.S. has insisted that the group agree to a full cease-fire and negotiate directly with the U.S.-backed Afghan government in Kabul.
Prospects for a U.S.-Taliban deal seemed imminent in early September. Mr. Trump even invited Taliban leaders to a Camp David summit to announce an agreement, but those plans were scrapped at the last minute after Taliban attacks targeted Americans in Afghanistan.
Days before the attack, Mr. Trump highlighted the ongoing peace talks in his State of the Union address and said “the determination and valor of our war fighters has allowed us to make tremendous progress.”
In a statement posted to twitter Sunday, Afghan’s defense ministry confirmed the attack and vowed to “continue our fight against terrorism together.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, called the incident “tragic” and said “we are all heartbroken for their families, friends & loved ones.”
⦁ This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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