KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – The Pentagon has released the identities of three Marines killed in the roadside bombing of an American convoy in Afghanistan on Monday.
They are Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware.
They were assigned to the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division of the Marine Corps Reserve, based in Fort Devens, Massachusetts.
The U.S. and NATO Resolute Support mission says the bomb hit the convoy near Bagram Airfield, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
A contractor was initially reported among the fatalities, but that information was not correct. The U.S. and NATO Resolute Support mission issued a statement on Tuesday βto clarify initial reporting.β
It says a roadside bomb attack during a convoy near the Bagram Airfield killed three American service members and that βthe contractor who was reported as killed, is alive.β
The injured contractor is an Afghan citizen.