Jenderal AS Tewas Ditembak di Fasilitas Latihan Militer di Afghanistan
American General Shot Dead at Afghan Military Training Facility
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Washington (B2B) - Seorang jenderal Amerika Serikat (AS) tewas terbunuh dalam satu serangan di Afghanistan Selasa, menjadi korban dengan pangkat tertinggi sejak serangan-serangan 11 September 2001, kata Pentagon.
Departemen Pertahanan AS juga mengidentifikasi penyerang itu adalah seorang serdadu Afghanistan dan menyatakan ia tewas setelah melepaskan tembakan ke arah pasukan koalisi, sekutunya, seperti dilansir Yahoo News.
Dalam satu pesan bela sungkawa, pihak militer mengidentifikasi perwira tinggi yang gugur dalam serangan tersebut ialah Mayor Jenderal Harold J. Greene. Ia adalah deputi bagi urusan penerimaan markas Angkatan Darat AS di Washington.
"Doa dan duka kami bersama dengan keluarga Mayor Jenderal Harold J. Greene dan para keluarga tentara kami yang cedera dalam peristiwa-peristiwa tragis itu," kata Kepala Staf AD Jenderal Ray Odierno.
"Kami tetap berkomitmen pada misi kami di Afghanistan dan akan terus bekerja sama dengan mitra-mitra Afghanistan untuk menjamin keselamatan dan keamanan semua tentara koalisi dan warga sipil," kata dia.
Berdasarkan data biografi resminya, Greene berasal dari New York dengan gelar doktor di bidang sains material dari University of Southern California dan tiga gelar master.
Jenderal itu merupakan perwira tinggi AS yang terbunuh sejak serangan-serangan 11 September 2001 ketika Letnan Jenderal Timothy Joseph Maude terbunuh dalam satu serangan pesawat yang dibajak menabrak gedung Pentagon.
Tak ada jenderal AS gugur dalam medan pertempuran sejak Perang Vietnam begitu juga dalam perang Irak hingga kini konflik Afghanistan. Presiden Barack Obama berencana menarik sebagian besar tentara dari Afghanistan hingga akhir tahun ini.
Seorang pejabat AS yang tak bersedia jatidirinya disebutkan mengatakan kepada kantor berita AFP bahwa sekitar 15 orang luka-luka termasuk delapan orang Amerika.
Kewarganegaraan korban-korban lain belum jelas tetapi tentara Jerman mengatakan bahwa satu di antara jenderalnya cedera dan pejabat AS itu mengatakan bahwa mereka yang luka-luka termasuk orang-orang Afghanistan.
Juru bicara Pentagon Laksamana John Kirby mengatakan bahwa penyerang itu tewas walaupun dia tidak memiliki rincian meengenai insiden itu terjadi.
"Kami yakin penyerang itu adalah seorang tentara Afghanistan," kata Kirby kepada wartawan.
Washington - A US general was killed in an attack in Afghanistan on Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking American fatality since the 9/11 attacks, the Pentagon said.
The US Defense Department also identified the assailant as an Afghan soldier and said that he was killed in turn after he opened fire on coalition forces, his supposed allies.
In a condolence message, the military identified the deceased as Major General Harold J. Greene, who was the deputy for acquisitions at the US Army headquarters in Washington.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Major General Harold J. Greene's family, and the families of our soldiers who were injured today in the tragic events," said army chief General Ray Odierno.
"We remain committed to our mission in Afghanistan and will continue to work with our Afghan partners to ensure the safety and security of all coalition soldiers and civilians," he said.
Greene's official biography said the New York State native held a doctorate in materials science from the University of Southern California as well as three master's degrees.
The general was the highest-ranking US officer killed since the September 11, 2001 attacks, when Lieutenant General Timothy Joseph Maude was killed by a hijacked airliner that crashed into the Pentagon.
No US general has been killed in combat since the Vietnam War, with top-ranking service members spared during the Iraq war and, until now, the Afghanistan conflict. President Barack Obama plans to withdraw most troops from Afghanistan later this year.
A US official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that around 15 people were injured including eight Americans.
The nationalities of the other victims were unclear, but the German army said that one of its generals was wounded and the US official said that the injured included Afghans.
The Pentagon spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby, said that the assailant was killed, although he did not have more detail on how the incident unfolded.
"We believe that the assailant was an Afghan soldier," Kirby told reporters.
