US official: 6 fired from Afghanistan embassy for drugs

WASHINGTON – Six people working at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, have been fired for using or possessing illegal drugs.

A State Department official says the firings followed an investigation into allegations of misconduct. The official says those who were embassy employees have been fired and others who were contractors for the embassy have been removed from the contract.

The official is declining to provide details about what led to the investigation. But the infractions are particularly troubling given the yearslong effort by the U.S. to address the narcotics trade in Afghanistan. Opium production is a major source of income for insurgents and the Taliban.

The official wasn’t authorized to discuss personnel situations publicly and requested anonymity.