Hero Army Ranger dog Maiko is shot dead by militants in Afghanistan, as he saved soldiers' lives by leading them on an assault into an enemy compound on his sixth tour of duty
- The 7-year-old multi-purpose canine (MPC) 'Maiko' was on his sixth tour of duty
- A biography said he saved the lives of several Rangers in a fierce firefight
- Sgt. Leandro Jasso, who was assigned to the same unit, was also killed
Maiko, pictured posing for his official military portrait, was on his sixth tour of duty
A US Army dog has died saving the lives of several rangers during a fierce firefight in Afghanistan.
The 7-year-old dog, named Maiko, was attached to to the 75th Ranger Regiment's 2nd Battalion and was killed while assaulting a compound in the country's Nimruz Province on 24 November.
According to an unofficial biography leaked online, Maiko, was 'leading Rangers into the breach of a targeted compound' when he was shot by enemy militants.
His actions were said to have saved the lives of several US troops as the enemy gave away their positions by firing at Maiko, allowing the Rangers to prevent any further loss of life.
'Maiko's presence and actions inside the building directly caused the enemy to engage him, giving away his position and resulting in the assault force eliminating the threat without injury or loss of life,' the Twitter biography read.
'The actions of Maiko directly saved the life of his handler [Staff Sgt.] Jobe and other Rangers.'
Sgt. Leandro Jasso also of the Second Ranger Battalion was also killed during the assault on the compound
Sgt. Leandro Jasso, who was assigned to the same unit, was also killed during this engagement.
Maiko, a highly trained multi-purpose canine (MPC), was on his sixth tour of duty in Afghanistan and had had several different military handlers.
Maiko was born in 2011 in the Netherlands and arrived in the U.S. a year-and-a-half later. The dog was on his sixth deployment to Afghanistan and was 7 years old when the clash occurred, according to Stars and Stripes.
Maiko reportedly participated in more than 50 Ranger-led raids involving combatant apprehension, building clearance and improvised explosive device detection.
A report from last summer revealed there are roughly 1,600 military working dogs serving in the field or aiding veterans [file photo]
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