Six Americans were recently killed in a suicide bombing that took place in Afghanistan near the Bagram Air Base. The instance represents the deadliest attack on United States armed forces this year. The American troops were killed on Monday, after a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle struck their patrol.
One of the victims was New York City Police Detective Joseph Lemm who was volunteering for his third military deployment. Lemm was a 15 year veteran of the New York Police Department, and he had also previously volunteered for the United States Air National Guard.
New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said in a statement, “Detective Joseph Lemm epitomized the selflessness we can only strive for: putting his country and city first.”
The Bagram Air Base is located about 25 miles north of the capital city of Kabul. It is one of the primary bases for the nearly 10,000 American troops that are still remaining in Afghanistan. International troops ended combat operations in the country earlier this year.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio offered his condolences to Lemm’s surviving wife and two children early on Tuesday.
The mayor said in a statement, “They are among many who have an empty chair at the dinner table because one of their loved ones went off to defend our country and never came back.”
In the past, Lemm had been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. This final deployment was his second tenure in Afghanistan.
The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack that left six Americans dead. The terrorist group has remained resilient even 14 years after the start of American military involvement in Afghanistan. The organization has increased its attacks this year to inflict heavier casualties on security forces of Afghanistan.
Last week, Pentagon officials warned about the deteriorating security forces in Afghanistan. They have said that the performance of the security forces has been mixed and uneven.
Since the 2001 invasion, more than 2,300 American troops have died in the country.
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