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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Army Ranger from Leavenworth died in Afghanistan from friendly fire

Leandro Jasso, a U.S. Army Ranger from Leavenworth, died earlier this year in Afghanistan due to friendly fire by Afghan allies, according to an investigation into his death. (Army Times)
From staff reports

A U.S. Army Ranger from Leavenworth, Washington, was killed by friendly fire last year while on a tour in Afghanistan, according to investigation documents obtained by the Army Times.

Army Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso died in November in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He was 25.

The investigation showed that Jasso was killed by a soldier with Ktah Khas, an Afghan partner combat unit, according to the Army Times. The officer who wrote the report stated that there was no evidence of the Ktah Khas purposefully killing Jasso.

Video footage from an overhead aircraft captured two Ktah Khas soldiers firing their guns before Jasso fell and two firing their guns after. They all denied shooting Jasso, according to the investigation.

Six Ktah Khas soldiers who accompanied Jasso said they did not fire their weapon, and one of the Afghans was not interviewed because he was not present, according to the Army Times article.

Jasso was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. He was on his third deployment to Afghanistan after enlisting in the Army in 2012.