Newburgh soldier killed in Afghanistan

The family of a soldier serving in Afghanistan has been coping with the loss of the 26-year-old man who was killed in action. First Lt. Mohsin Naqvi had been fighting in Afghanistan since June. According

News 12 Staff

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Sep 19, 2008, 12:17 AM

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Updated 5,790 days ago

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The family of a soldier serving in Afghanistan has been coping with the loss of the 26-year-old man who was killed in action.

First Lt. Mohsin Naqvi had been fighting in Afghanistan since June. According to the soldier?s relatives, on Wednesday they received a call from two Army officers that confirmed their worst fears.

Naqvi and four other servicemen died when an IED exploded near their Humvee.

"The Naqvis are great people, and we're really sad for them," says neighbor Tarra Rust.

Relatives say Naqvi had been considering military service since he was a teenager. He graduated from Newburgh Free Academy and decided to enlist after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Being a devout Muslim, Naqvi's family says he was always under close scrutiny from his superiors and colleagues.

"His loyalty was being questioned every step of the way just because he was Muslim," says Naqvi?s sister, Tasneen Ali.

Naqvi?s father, Nazar Naqvi, says his son was a proud American whose goal was to protect freedom and dispel stereotypes of Muslims.

"He did what he could and proved his point that he is a good American," Nazar Naqvi says.

The soldier?s relatives say once his body is returned to the U.S., a memorial service will be held at the Al Fatemah Islamic Center in Albany.

Naqvi leaves behind a wife, whom he married just days before he was deployed.

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