Coalition officials in Afghanistan report that Afghan and coalition ground forces called for close air support during a six-hour engagement prompted by a Taliban ambush in the town of Musa Qala in the Helmand province. Afghan and coalition forces killed nearly 80 Taliban, with no reports of Afghan, coalition, or civilian casualties. Stars and Stripes reports that US Air Force aircraft flew the CAS sorties, making four precision weapons strikes.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
