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MARBLE FALLS – A 19-year-old Marble Falls soldier died March 1 in Afghanistan during an attack on his  base.

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that Pfc. Payton Jones, a 2010 Marble Falls High School graduate, was killed following an attack on the base he was stationed at in the Kandahar province. He was one of two soldiers who died during the same assault.

Along with Jones, Staff Sgt. Jordan L. Bear, 25, of Denver was killed.

Both soldiers were members of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C.

Jones graduated from Army basic in November 2010. He is the son of Tami Sims of Marble Falls. Along with him, Jones’ sister Sidney Jones has served in the Army as well.

While the military press release didn’t specify how the two soldiers died, an early statement reported that two U.S. service members were killed that day after three Afghan men fired on them.

Both U.S. and Afghan officials said two of the gunmen were Afghan security force members while the third was an Afghan civilian.

At least two of the shooters were killed by NATO forces, defense officials said.

The number of “green on blue” deaths — referring to Afghan security force members turning on NATO forces — has increased recently since troops inadvertently burned religious materials, including Qurans, at a detention center in Bagram Feb. 21.

Since the burning, six U.S. service members have been killed. Two U.S. military advisers were found dead in the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul Feb. 25.

On Feb. 23, an Afghan soldier killed two more U.S. soldiers during an anti-West protest over the Quran burning.

No funeral arrangements for Payton Jones have been announced.

daniel@thepicayune.com