A suicide blast Saturday morning killed four Americans and injured 17 more at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Two of the killed were US troops, and two more were contractors, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement. Sixteen of the injured are US troops, and one is Polish. “I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen, and I want to reassure the loved ones of those injured that they are always getting the best possible care,” Carter said in the statement. “… For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future.” A Taliban spokesman told Reuters the bomber was able to enter the base and detonate a suicide vest while standing in line with Afghan laborers. The blast happened as troops were preparing for a post-Veterans Day fun run, according to NBC News.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…