KABUL (SW): A Taliban suicide attack killed six American soldiers in Bagram district taking the total of NATO casualties in Afghanistan this year to 25.
A suicide bomber on a motorbike carried out the attack on a joint patrol of Afghan and coalition forces at about 1:30 p.m. in the Bajawri area of Bagram district, said Waheed Sediqi, a spokesman for the governor of Parwan province.
Two other U.S. service members and an American contractor were also wounded, officials said. The area is close to the U.S. base in the Bagram district of northern Parwan province.
The U.S Defense Secretary Ashton Carter expressed his condolences to the Americans' families.
"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," Carter said in a statement. "Their dedicated efforts will continue despite this tragic event."
According to the CNN, the death toll of NATO forces has steadily declined year by year since reaching a peak of 711 in 2010.
“We’re deeply saddened by this loss,” said Brig. Gen. Wilson A. Shoffner, Resolute Support Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications in a message about the latest incident in Bagram. “On behalf of General Campbell and all of Resolute Support, our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of those affected in this tragic incident, especially during this holiday season”, he added.
ENDS
