U.S. says soldier died in stabbing
Sgt. Michael Cable, who was guarding officials, was attacked by an Afghan teen.
KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan teenager killed an American soldier in eastern Afghanistan by stabbing him in the neck while he played with a group of local children, officials said Monday.
Sgt. Michael Cable, 26, was guarding Afghan and U.S. officials meeting in a province near the border with Pakistan when the stabbing occurred Wednesday, two senior U.S. officials said.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because an investigation is ongoing.
Cable was among the 14 U.S. fatalities in Afghanistan in March, an increase in the monthly toll that reflects the start of the spring fighting season, when the Taliban and other insurgents tend to step up attacks.
One of the U.S. officials said the attacker, thought to be about 16, was not believed to have been a member of the Afghan security forces and was not in uniform so it was not being classified as an insider attack.
He is believed to have fled into Pakistan.
The Afghan and American dignitaries were attending the swearing-in of the Afghan Local Police in Shinwar district in Nangarhar province, senior district official Zalmai Khan said. Afghan Local Police recruits are drawn from villages and backed by the U.S. military.
The soldier was outside with a group of children when the attacker approached from behind and stabbed him with a large knife, Khan said.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the young man was acting independently but joined the Islamic militant movement after fleeing the scene.
In a statement last week, the Pentagon said only that Cable, of Philpot, Ky., died of injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by enemy forces.