U.S. Army Ranger Killed in Afghanistan Al-Qaeda Operation

The U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan on Saturday has been identified as a 25-year-old U.S. Army Ranger from Washington state. Military officials confirmed in a statement Sunday that Sgt. Leandro Jasso, a member of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, was killed by gunfire in southwest Afghanistan. The exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Jasso was said to be “mortally wounded by gunfire” during an operation against al-Qaeda in a remote area where U.S. forces are not known to carry out many operations. “The loss of Sgt. Jasso is felt by his family and loved ones, by all who served with him and by all on this mission to protect our country and our allies,” said General Austin Miller, the highest-ranking U.S. officer in Afghanistan. Jasso’s death, six years after he joined the Army in 2012, marks the 10th U.S. combat fatality in the war-torn nation in 2018 alone. The commander for Jasso’s battalion gave his condolences in a statement: “Sgt. Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first, lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed.”