Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan al-Qaida fight
Sgt.’s death is the 10th combat fatality for U.S. in Afghanistan
A soldier in the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment was mortally wounded by gunfire Saturday during an operation against al-Qaida fighters in a remote part of southwestern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said Sunday.
Sgt. Leandro Jasso, 25, was wounded in Nimruz province’s Khash Rod district, where the U.S. military is not known to conduct many operations. The operation was carried out jointly with Afghan forces and concluded Sunday morning, said Maj. Bariki Mallya, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. One other U.S. service member was wounded, he added.
Additional details about the operation were not immediately available. U.S. Special Operations troops continue to carry out raids against militant groups in Afghanistan, but Nimruz is typically considered relatively sleepy. However, the area is prone to drug smuggling, from poppy-rich areas of Helmand and Kandahar provinces to porous, desert borders with Pakistan and Iran.
Jasso’s death marks the 10th combat fatality for the U.S. military in Afghanistan in 2018.
Jasso was a team leader in Alpha Company of the Ranger Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, according to an Army news release. The unit is based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state when not deployed.
“Sgt. Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first, lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed,” said Lt. Col. Rob McChrystal, the commander of Jasso’s battalion.
Jasso received treatment in the field immediately after he was shot and was eventually evacuated to the nearest coalition medical facility in neighboring Helmand’s Garmsir district, U.S. military officials said.
Jasso was a native of Leavenworth, Wash., and enlisted in the Army in 2012, according to the Army. He was on his third deployment with the Rangers and had earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, signifying that he had fought in ground combat.