Pence mourns slain US service members

Vice President Mike Pence late Saturday mourned three U.S. service members slain in Afghanistan.

“You know, today, we received a heartbreaking reminder of the risks that our service men and women face in the defense of freedom,” Pence told the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Washington, D.C.

“As I traveled to Wisconsin this afternoon, I was informed that three American soldiers were killed and one wounded in a terrible attack in Afghanistan,” Pence, whose son is an officer in the U.S. Marines, told the conservative group.

“The Bible tells us that ‘no greater love has a man than this, than he should lay down his life for his friends’ “ Pence added. “Let me say from the heart, when heroes fall, Americans grieve. And tonight, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these American heroes. We honor their service, their sacrifice, and we always will.”

{mosads}The Department of Defense said in a brief statement that three U.S. soldiers were killed in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday. Another U.S. soldier was wounded.

The Associated Press quoted an Afghan official who said the casualties resulted from an attack by an Afghan soldier.

The Taliban is claiming responsibility for the attack, the news service added.

Pence also said that President Trump “will not rest and will not relent until we rebuild our military, restore the arsenal of democracy, and once again give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard the resources and the training they need to accomplish their mission and come home safe.”

Pence pointed to increases in military spending in the supplemental budget that Congress passed and the budget that Trump has submitted to Congress.

“With that strong support, I would report to you our armed forces are in the fight,” Pence said. “They’re taking the fight to terrorists on our terms, on their soil. And ISIS is on the run. And under this commander in chief, we will hunt down and destroy ISIS at its source so that it can no longer threaten our people, our allies, or our very way of life. As the president said, this bloodshed must end — this bloodshed will end.”