US army says failures behind deadly attack on Afghan base

The US military Friday blamed a lack of leadership, diversion of vital assets and failure to recognise a growing threat for an insurgent attack on a remote base that killed eight US soldiers. The attack in early October on the base near the Pakistan border in the eastern province of Nuristan was one of the most dramatic of the war against Taliban-led insurgents, now in its ninth year.
Eight US soldiers were killed and 22 wounded after Combat Outpost (COP) Keating was attacked by "an enemy force of 300", according to a report into the incident by US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). The report praised soldiers of B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Calvary, who it said "heroically repelled a complex attack from an enemy force of 300, killing approximately 150 enemy fighters". "Soldiers and junior leaders fought heroically in repelling an enemy force five times their size," said the report, praising their "warrior ethics and professionalism... conspicuous gallantry, courage and bravery".