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US military identifies soldier killed in 'insider attack' in Afghanistan

Monday, 09 July 2018 6:14 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 09 July 2018 6:54 AM ]

The US soldier killed in Afghanistan was identified late on Sunday as Cpl. Joseph Maciel of South Gate, California.

The US military has identified the American soldier killed during an apparent “insider attack” in southern Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense said in a press release issued on Sunday night that Cpl. Joseph Maciel was 20-year-old and from South Gate, California.

The US-led Resolute Support Mission (RSM) announced that Maciel was killed and two others were wounded on Saturday.

The Pentagon did not identify the two wounded US troopers but said they were in “stable” condition.

According to the Department of Defense, Maciel was deployed to Afghanistan from Fort Benning, Georgia, which straddles the Alabama and Georgia border, near Columbus, Georgia, and he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

Maciel was reportedly deployed in February to Afghanistan to help provide security for the brigade’s military advisers. No other details of the attack were provided.

“Cpl. Maciel was an excellent soldier beloved by his teammates and dedicated to our mission,” Lt. Col. David Conner, Maciel’s battalion commander, said in a statement to the news website Military.com

The insider attacks, in which a member of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) attacks US service members, have taken place every year since 2008. The Afghan province that has seen the highest number of attacks is Helmand, south of the country and a major Taliban stronghold.

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