New Jersey Soldier Killed In Afghanistan

CRANSTON, R.I. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A soldier from Bergen County, N.J., was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, his National Guard unit in Rhode Island announced.

Staff Sgt. Timothy Raymond McGill, 30, died from wounds received by small arms fire in eastern Afghanistan.

McGill initially served as a Marine after joining the military in August 2001. He was deployed to Iraq with the Marines in 2005. He joined the Rhode Island National Guard in 2008 and qualified as an elite Special Forces soldier in 2005.

It was not clear if McGill was among the three U.S. soldiers fatally shot by an Afghan wearing a security forces uniform Saturday.

The shooting took place in Gardez, capital of eastern Paktia province, Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, an Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, said. The area, near the border with Pakistan, has been a front line in fighting with the Taliban and other militants.

The attack took place inside a base of the Afghan army in the city, according to a security official in Gardez, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give details while the incident was still under investigation.

Killings by uniformed Afghans of foreign soldiers and civilians rose dramatically last year, eroding confidence between the sides at a crucial turning point in the conflict. So-called insider attacks killed 62 personnel in 47 incidents last year compared to 35 killed in 21 attacks a year earlier, according to NATO.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)