A U.S. special operations service member was killed in Afghanistan while on a foot patrol with Afghan forces on a counterterrorism mission, the Pentagon said Tuesday, while declining to specifically say that service member died in combat.
The U.S. military says the service member died when an improvised explosive device, or IED was triggered in the Achin district, Nangarhar province, while on a mission to target an Islamic State-affiliated group known as the Islamic State, Khorasan.
But despite the fact the U.S. military member was on a combat patrol, in a combat zone, getting combat pay, and died as a result of as hostile enemy action, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook declined to say the service member died “in combat.”
“This is someone who was in harm’s way, a combat situation to be sure.” Cook said. “But I think you have to draw a distinction between our mission in Afghanistan today and what we were doing say even five or 10 years ago.”
The U.S. military said the mission as conducted as a part of a larger U.S.-Afghan counterterrorism mission targeting ISIS in that country.
“This was serving his country in a counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan, targeting ISIL, and was doing so bravely and honorably and on behalf of his country,” Cook said. “And we should all remember that on this very difficult tragic day for this department.’
The Pentagon does not release the name or service affiliation of service members killed in action until 24 hours after family members have been notified.
