Confirmed: 7 AFL soldiers succumb to Ebola

Authorities at the Ministry of National Defense in Monrovia have confirmed the death of several soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia after they contacted the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.

Assistant Defense Minister for Public Affairs David Dahn confirmed to The NewDawn via mobile phone late Monday that a memorial service was held last Friday for the fallen soldiers at the Barclay Training Center or BTC in Monrovia.

Names of the soldiers were not provided, but sources at the Edward Binyan Kesselley Barracks along the Robertsfield highway say the barracks has become a “no go area” for visitors.

The Chief of Staff and Commanding Officer of the AFL, David Zhankan, has instituted several new and stronger measures to combat the deadly virus.

According to reports, strangers or visitors wearing short sleeves are not allowed in the barracks, which hosts hundreds of soldiers.

This paper also gathers that huge portion of the barracks has been quarantined with about 30 soldiers currently being put in holding centers.

“Our barracks is now scaring but we must stay to face the difficulties of the Ebola virus. Everyone is afraid of someone because we don’t know who will be next victim of the virus,” a source confided.

On October 1, 2014, this paper reported that a four-door pickup truck of the AFL was seen in front of the JFK Ebola holding center being disinfected by medical practitioners following the admission of suspected AFL Ebola patients.

According to information, a female visitor with the disease, who had gone to the barracks to visit one of the officers, without realizing that she was carrying the Ebola virus transmitted the disease to her host, further spreading it to six additional officers, said to be very close friends.

Another account had it that a woman, visiting the barracks recently from Tubmanburg, Bomi County, had fallen ill and rushed to the military clinic for treatment at Camp Kesselly, when medical practitioners contracted the disease.

As a result of the outbreak, officers, who had earlier left the barracks apparently to visit family members and relatives in Monrovia and other parts of the country, are reportedly hesitant to return to base, while their commanders continue to make both cell phone and radio calls to them on a daily basis.