Oregon Public Broadcasting

Four more Washington-based soldiers -- including one originally from Idaho - have been charged with premeditated murder.

They're accused of killing civilians while deployed to Afghanistan. The charges were announced Wednesday morning.

Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs is charged with three counts of premeditated murder and one count of assault against a fellow soldier.

Pvt. 1st Class Andrew Holmes of Boise and Specialists Adam Winfield and Michael Wagnon are each charged with one count of premeditated murder.

Lt. Col. Tamara Parker is an Army spokeswoman. She says the charges stem from the alleged murders of three Afghan civilians earlier this year.

Tamara Parker: "This is a tremendously serious case. It's being investigated thoroughly. And it will be prosecuted appropriately and in accordance with the law."

A fifth soldier, Specialist Jeremy Morlock, was charged earlier this month also with three counts of murder and one count of assault.

Four of the accused are now jailed at Joint Base Lewis McChord near Tacoma. The other is being brought to Washington from Kuwait.

All of the soldiers are members of the same company in the 5th Stryker Brigade which is concluding a one-year deployment to Afghanistan.