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Afghan Insurgents Lure US Military Into A Meeting, US-Led Coalition Responds With Airstrike

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Jonah Bennett Contributor
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Taliban-linked insurgents lured the U.S. military to a meeting and then opened fire, wounding a U.S. soldier, but earning the wrath of a coalition airstrike in response.

The insurgents lured a U.S. soldier, an Afghan militia leader and Afghan interpreter to a so-called security meeting on Thursday, according to U.S. Navy Capt. Tom Gresback.

As soon as the meeting finished, the insurgents, disguised as members of a local militia, opened fire, immediately killing the militia leader and wounding the U.S. soldier, The Associated Press reports.

The soldier is in stable condition.

The Taliban told The Associated Press that it had infiltrated the militia months ago in preparation for the attack.

Not long after the attack took place, the U.S.-led coalition struck the insurgent compound in Nangarhar Province, killing 10 insurgents in retribution. More specifically, the mission took place in Mohmand Valley.

Afghan residents have started to relocate back to this area after being forced out in 2015 by the Islamic State of Khorasan.

The Pentagon is planning on sending an extra 1,000 combat advisers to the region, as well as new armed and unarmed drones, in preparation for the fighting season, that begins in the spring. It’s possible to send more military hardware to Afghanistan, due to drawdowns in Iraq and Syria in response to the rapid decline of ISIS, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.

However, there is consternation from U.S. military planners about resource shifting, as they don’t want an insurgency to restart in Iraq and Syria.

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