Sunday marked the twelfth anniversary of a deadly bombing in Afghanistan’s Zabul province that killed six people, including American diplomat Anne Smedinghoff, a Department of Defense civilian employee, and an Afghan doctor.
State Department spokesperson Timmy Brose described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and said that Smedinghoff’s legacy “continues to inspire all of us.”
“Today, we remember our former colleague and American diplomat Anne Smedinghoff, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan on April 6, 2013. Anne’s dedication to her country and her legacy of driving positive change through public service continue to inspire us all,” Brose said.
The April 6, 2013 attack targeted a convoy in Qalat, the provincial capital, as U.S. diplomats and their Afghan colleagues traveled to donate books to students at a local school. A suicide car bomb exploded near their vehicle, also injuring four other U.S. personnel.
At the time, the group was part of a mission supported by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) aimed at promoting educational development in the region.
Anne Smedinghoff, just 25 years old, was remembered by colleagues and leaders in Washington as a dedicated and selfless diplomat.
