Kerry grieves loss of US diplomat in Zabul

WASHINGTON (PAN, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday wished everyone could see first-hand the devotion, loyalty and amazingly hard work the envoys did on the front lines.

“We know too well the risks in the world today for all of our State Department personnel at home and around the world – Foreign Service, Civil Service, political appointees, locally employed staff and so many others,” Kerry said. 

While praising the work US diplomats did on the front lines in the world’s most dangerous places, he said every day, they honoured their courage and were grateful for their sacrifices. And today they did so with great sadness, the secretary said.

Kerry said the State Department family was grieving over the loss of an exceptional young officer, killed in an IED attack in southern Zabul province, along with service members, a Department of Defense civilian and Afghan civilians. Four other State Department staffers suffered injuries, one critically.

“Our American officials and their Afghan colleagues were on their way to donate books to students in a school in Qalat, the province’s capital, when they were struck by this despicable attack,” he said in a statement.

Last week in Kabul, the secretary met the fallen officer when she was selected to support him during his visit to Afghanistan. “She was everything a Foreign Service officer should be: smart, capable, eager to serve, and deeply committed to our country and the difference she was making for the Afghan people…”

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