Six American troops were killed Monday in a suicide car bombing near the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan, officials said. Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the bombing near Bagram Airfield in northern Afghanistan, saying in a statement that their target was a joint Afghan-NATO security patrol.“We’re deeply saddened by this loss,” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Wilson A. Shoffner, spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition, said in a statement. “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of those affected in this tragic incident, especially during this holiday season.”
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in a statement that six U.S. service members died and two other service members and a contractor were injured in the attack.
“It serves as a painful reminder of the dangers our troops face every day in Afghanistan,” Carter said. “As I saw firsthand during my visit to Afghanistan last Friday, our troops are working diligently alongside our Afghan partners to build a brighter future for the Afghan people. Their dedicated efforts will continue despite this tragic event.”
A member of the provincial council of Parwan, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said at least three members of the Afghan National Police were injured.
Bagram Airfield is home to one of the largest contingents of the remaining 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. About 5,000 U.S. troops are based at Bagram Airfield, a vast military installation where F-16 fighter jets, armed drones, and cargo planes fly on daily missions. U.S. troops still accompany Afghan forces on security patrols around the base to guard against Taliban and other militant groups.
Pentagon records show 16 U.S. troops and one civilian have died in Afghanistan this year, and an additional 68 were wounded in action.
| An Nahar claims it was a motorcycle VBIED, not a car. |