U.S. soldier dies from non-combat injuries in Afghanistan

July 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. sergeant has died from non-combat related injuries in Afghanistan, authorities said.

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command said in a statement Monday that Sgt. 1st class Elliott J. Robbins, 31, died Sunday in Helmand Province.

"A skilled soldier with three combat deployments, Robbins will always be remembered," Col. Lawrence G. Ferguson said of the Special Forces medical sergeant from Ogden, Utah.

Ferguson said the 10th Special Forces Group "has paid a heavy toll in recent days" without elaborating and that Robbins' service would be honored.

Robbins had been deployed to Iraq in 2007 and twice to Afghanistan in support of Special Operations with the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in 2017 and 2019, the USASOC said in a statement.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of Robbins' death.

"I am grateful to him for the service he gave his country," he said in a statement.

In honor of his death, the flags of the United States and the State of Utah would be lowered on the day of his funeral, the governor said in the press release.

Robbins' death follows a slew of others in early May and April that were the result of non-combat incidents.