TROUBLING

FBI Investigating Assault of Female Fort Bliss Soldier by Afghan Refugees

The incident is said to have taken place on Sept. 19 as the soldier arrived to report for duty.

A female Fort Bliss soldier reported being assaulted by multiple Afghan refugees in New Mexico on Sunday, a Fort Bliss official confirmed to KVIA on Friday. “A female service member supporting Operation Allies Welcome reported being assaulted on Sept. 19 by a small group of male evacuees at the Doña Ana Complex in New Mexico,” Lt. Col. Allie Payne, a public affairs officer at Fort Bliss, said in a statement. The complex is located within Fort Bliss, which lies between New Mexico and Texas.

Authorities have provided medical treatment and counseling services to the victim, Payne said, and officials have increased security measures in response. Sources cited by KVIA noted that the assault was not sexual, and the soldier was not hospitalized. Payne also said the matter was referred to the FBI for investigation, whose El Paso office confirmed it is investigating the matter.