Dominican origin U.S. Marine among fatal victims at the Kabul airport
Dominican origin Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario was one of the fatal victims of the attack at the Kabul airport, which also killed 12 other U.S. soldiers and 169 Afghans.
We are heartbroken by the death of servicemen and women due to the shelling in Kabul this week. The city of Lawrence and I are particularly saddened that one of those brave souls was a daughter of our city”, said Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Kendrys Vásquez today on the death of Rosario.
The bombing was attributed to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, whose cell was attacked by a United States drone, according to agency reports on Saturday.
A suicide bomber associated with the Islamic State terrorists came in loaded with 25 pounds of explosives and shrapnel and killed 13 U.S. servicemen, and at least 169 Afghans fleeing the country, the US media reported.
The blast detonated amid a crowd outside the abbey gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport, where potential refugees were looking for passage out of the country and were being screened by the military, The Eagle-Tribune reported.
The US military said yesterday that it had carried out a drone strike in retaliation against an Islamic State suicide bomber planner, apparently killing that person, according to The Eagle-Tribune.
In a statement, Vásquez said that he contacted the family of those killed in military service, to extend his condolences and offer all the help that his administration can offer them while they mourn the loss, according to The Eagle-Tribune.
On his side, the director of Veterans of Lawrence, Jaime Meléndez, pointed out that “at this moment, the most immediate desire of Rosario’s family is that he be given privacy and that his loved one be recognized as the hero that he was”.
In a text message early Saturday morning after learning of the death of Marine Sergeant Johanny Rosario, he requested to keep her and her family in her thoughts and prayers.
“Good luck and rest in peace, Marine”, said Meléndez.
All members of the Lawrence Police Department offered their condolences to Rosario’s 25-year-old family.
“She was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence on Thursday at the Kabul airport. She and the other American heroes gave their lives helping others to be safe. May she and all the victims of this tragic event rest in peace”, said the entity through its social networks.
Friends and relatives of the fallen members are expected to gather for a vigil in honor of Rosario. The vigil is expected to take place at 2:00 in the afternoon at the Monument to the Fallen Heroes of Massachusetts, in Boston, according to the Necn portal.