Takoma Park mourns fallen soldier killed in Afghanistan

TAKOMA PARK, Md. - A Maryland community is mourning one of its own after a U.S. Army soldier was killed in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Adam Thomas was a Takoma Park native who had been in the Army for eight years. He was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado and was a highly decorated Green Beret.

The Pentagon said Thomas was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated nearby him while on patrol in a northeastern province bordering Pakistan.

In recent weeks, military forces have been engaged against the Islamic State in Afghanistan. In recent days, the 10th Special Forces Group, which Staff Sgt. Thomas was assigned to, has been engaged in a major counterterrorism offensive against ISIS.

In Thomas' hometown, Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart said they learned of his death Wednesday night. While she said it has been some time since the 31-year-old lived in the city, this is the second time in a year that this small Maryland town has lost a native in a terrorist attack.

"Unfortunately, I have only been mayor for a year, but I have to say there have been a number of times we've had to come together as a community," Stewart said. "Last year, we lost a member of our community, Anita Datar, to the terrorist attack in Mali. We also came together as a community after the shootings at the Pulse club in Orlando."

Back in November, Datar was the only American killed in a hotel attack in Mali.

Staff Sgt. Thomas' commander told FOX 5 said the soldier's death is still under investigation. However, he also said his contributions will never be forgotten.