US General Is First Slain in Combat Since 1970

Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was killed in Afghanistan
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 5, 2014 5:14 PM CDT
US General Is First Slain in Combat Since 1970
This image provided by the Army shows Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene.   (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

The US officer killed today in Afghanistan has been identified as Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, reports ABC News. The two-star general was shot to death when a man believed to belong to the Afghan army opened fire on his supposed allies at a military base near Kabul. The AP says Greene is the highest-ranking American officer killed in combat since 1970. About 15 other US and coalition troops were injured, including two Afghan generals and one German general. Five US troops are in serious condition, reports the Washington Post. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Greene, who was trained as an engineer, had been deployed to Afghanistan in January to help Afghans prepare for the withdrawal of the US military, reports the New York Times. He was helping the Afghans with the logistics of managing their own troops and weaponry, and his official title was deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. "It's a terrible day," says the Pentagon's press secretary. The attack occurred at Camp Qargha, which trains hundreds of Afghan troops a month. (More Harold Greene stories.)

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