National
Pentagon identifies US soldier killed in suicide car bomb attack in Afghanistan
The Pentagon announced Friday that Sgt. 1st Class Elis Angel Barreto Ortiz, was killed Thursday in Afghanistan.
Barreto, a 34-year-old paratrooper from Morovis, Puerto Rico, died when a car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near NATO headquarters and the US embassy in Kabul.
Barreto was a maintenance control sergeant assigned to the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
“With honor and courage, Sgt. 1st Class Barreto answered our nation’s call to deploy and serve in Afghanistan,” said Col. Arthur Sellers, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, in a statement. “In this most difficult time, his loved ones are now surrounded by a community of love and caring by members of our Paratrooper Family Readiness Group.”
According to a statement from the Army, Barreto joined the service in 2010 and is a recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal
Barreto is the 16th US service member to be killed in Afghanistan in 2019, and three other American service members have been killed in recent weeks. Another service member from Romania also was killed Thursday, the NATO-led coalition announced in a statement.
“Appalled by the terrorist attack in Afghanistan, in which a Romanian soldier lost his life, the second attack this week resulting in the killing of a Romanian citizen,” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Twitter Thursday. “Condolences to the families of the victims.”
The attack comes as the US and the Taliban are close to finalizing a peace deal. The lead US negotiator and special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, returned to Doha, Qatar, this week to resume talks with the Taliban.
The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, told Afghanistan’s TOLOnews on Monday that the US and the Taliban have reached an agreement “in principle,” pending final approval by President Donald Trump.
Khalilzad said, based on the draft agreement, the US will pull troops from five bases across Afghanistan within 135 days so long as the Taliban meet conditions set in the agreement.
The US troop withdrawals could mark the beginning of the end of America’s longest running war, a nearly 18-year conflict triggered by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that has cost billions in taxpayer dollars and cost more than 2,300 American lives.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 6, 2019
Latest Instagram Posts
It’s time for Season 5!! Fuego stopped by the studio today with a message! Coachella Valley Firebirds season opener this Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m. — tickets at CVFIREBIRDS.COM
Guess we are not the only ones asking about money in the Desert Recreation District! #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #nbcpalmsprings
8 years lated and $30 MILLION higher … Should the state order an independent audit? Drop a 💬 if you want answers! #cvusd #coachellavalley #audit #therogginreport #nbcpalmsprings
Data centers on pause. ✋ Palm Springs City Council unanimously extended it’s moratorium through August 25, 2028, giving the city time to set zoning rules. What do you think of the decision? 🌴
☕️ Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
About 650,000 ballots and election materials are back with Riverside County election officials after the California Supreme Court ruled their seizure violated state election law. The materials remain under the registrar’s control as officials determine next steps.
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry. Do you get excited or stressed about the upcoming holiday season (or both) ?
BREAKING: Human remains believed to be those of 17-year-old T’neya Tovar have been discovered at a second site in the Salton City area, according to the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office. A skull and rib cage were found during a search involving Imperial County investigators and the FBI. Testing is still needed to confirm the remains belong to Tovar. The discovery comes one day after suspect Finebloom pleaded guilty to torture and voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement that could result in a sentence of 13 years to life. More details on NBCPalmSprings.com
NBC Palm Springs went back to Indio Hills today after Dillon Road flooded last night, forcing many residents to leave. One resident told us he is back today, working on repairs—after his home faced extensive damage in the flood. be sure to visit nbcpalmsprings.com for a live look at the area today. #coachellavalley #weather #flood #indiohills #weather
This afternoon in Salton City, the FBI and Imperial County Sheriff’s Department were in the neighborhood of Abraham Feinbloom. Searching just after a plea deal was made to where Feinbloom agreed to show investigators where the remains of T’Neya Tovar are. Feinbloom pled guilty to one count of torture and voluntary manslaughter. Tonight you’ll hear from neighbors who have been following the case from the very beginning, that story will be on nbcpalmsprings.com #nbcpalmsprings #abrahamfeinbloom #fyp #murdercase #missingteenager