Army Pfc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Ky.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died of wounds sustained when his outpost was attacked by small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from enemy forces in Wanat, Afghanistan, on July 13. Also killed were 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, Sgt. Israel Garcia, Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, Cpl. Jason D. Hovater, Cpl. Jason M. Bogar, Cpl. Matthew B. Phillips, Cpl. Pruitt A. Rainey and Cpl. Gunnar W. Zwilling.
"Ky. Soldier Among 9 Killed In Afghanistan"
A Kentucky soldier was among nine who were killed when their remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan was attacked, the military said Wednesday.
The Defense Department said Pfc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, died Sunday in the deadliest incident for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since June 2005, when 16 American soldiers were killed as a rocket-propelled grenade shot down their helicopter.
The soldiers died from wounds suffered when their newly built outpost in Wanat was attacked before dawn by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Vicenza, Italy.
A former provincial governor in the region said scores of attackers included a mix of Afghan- and Pakistan-based militants, some with al-Qaida links.
A NATO official said they used houses, shops and a mosque for cover during the hours-long battle before American soldiers managed to drive out the attackers and call in air support from attack helicopters. The official said dozens were killed and about 40 were wounded.
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