Tragic Loss: Two Americans Killed in Afghanistan

A United States service member and a civilian were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday by a single assailant wearing an Afghan National Army uniform.Two US civilians were also wounded in the attack and are in stable condition, said the Department of Defense.The attack occurred near an Afghan military ammunition supply point by Camp Morehead, Kabul. The attacker shot at the group by the entry control point and was later killed.An official said that the Americans were visiting Camp Morehead as part of the “train, advise and assist” mission when “a lone assailant opened fire on them at the entry control point.”

Afghanistan Mission Continues With Troops and Civilians

The Americans were part of the 9,800 strong force in Afghanistan advising and assisting the Afghan government and armed forces. While the civilian killed was confirmed as American, it is unclear whether or not they were a contractor or a government employee.There are thousands of contractors still in Afghanistan, conducting missions that range from personal security details to heating and air conditioning repair and intelligence analysis.The US casualties are not going to be identified until the next of kin is updated."Any time we lose a member of our team, it is deeply painful," Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and Resolute Support, said in a statement. "Our sympathies go out to the families, loved ones and the units of those involved in this incident."The incident comes as Taliban and Afghan government officials meet in secret in Qatar in talks aimed at restoring peace negotiations that failed last year.The talks fell through in July of 2015 after the Afghan government announced the death of the Taliban’s founder, Mullah Mohammed Omar.The group’s next leader was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan.The Guardian reported that talks happened first in September and then this month in Doha, Qatar, which harbors an official Taliban office.