U.S. General In Afghanistan Explains That Equipment Captured By The Islamic State Was Lost During An Intense Battle

Rocket launchers and grenades were among the equipment displayed. BBC

Washington Post: General: U.S. equipment captured by Islamic State was lost during gun battle

Almost two weeks after several U.S. Special Operations troops were wounded fighting Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan, the militant group’s media arm has posted photos of American equipment, including weapons and a radio that, they say, were captured from U.S. soldiers fighting in the same region.

In an emailed statement Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, the deputy chief of staff for the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan, confirmed that equipment was lost during recent operations in the country’s restive Nangarhar province. Cleveland said that the equipment had been lost when moving to what is called a “casualty collection point” from one area to another. A casualty collection point is often pre-designated on the map prior to any mission. In this case, Cleveland said, the initial collection point came under “effective” fire, forcing the U.S. unit to move to a more covered position.

“In the course of moving the [collection point] to a safe location, some equipment was left behind,” Cleveland said. “For understandable reasons, the lives of soldiers were not put at risk to recover the equipment prior to the scheduled exfiltration from the area at the already planned conclusion of the operation.”

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Update: U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan abandoned equipment under fire: general (Reuters)

WNU Editor: By the sound of it ..... and looking at the equipment and personal items left behind .... the impression that I have is that these American soldiers were fighting and running for their lives.