New Zealand Defence Minister’s nephew killed in Afghan war

WELLINGTON—The nephew of New Zealand Defence Minister Phil Goff has been killed while serving in the US Army in Afghanistan, Goff said Monday. Lieutenant Matthew Ferrara, 24, was among six soldiers in the International Security Assistance Force and three Afghan troops who died in an ambush by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday. The US-born Ferrara was the son of Goff’s sister Linda and held dual New Zealand and US citizenship, Goff said. He was the first New Zealander killed in a military role in Afghanistan. Goff said his nephew had been serving in Afghanistan for around five months. “We all feel very keenly his loss and the tragedy that someone with so much to offer and to do with his life has been taken from us,” Goff said on behalf of his family. Prime Minister Helen Clark offered condolences to the family of her colleague. “It’s a very tragic situation for the families of all involved and very, very distressing for Mr Goff and his family.”—Agencies