Two US soldiers killed during Afghan combat mission

Two US soldiers killed during Afghan combat mission
US troop deaths have become relatively rare in Afghanistan, since the Kabul government took over security.
2 min read
22 March, 2019
US deaths have become less common after Afghan forces took over security [Getty]

Two US troops have been killed during a miliary operation in Afghanistan on Friday, NATO said, amid ongoing talks between Washington and the Taliban to find an end to the country's long-running war.

No details were released about the soldiers but NATO's Resolute Support mission said they had been killed during an unspecified "operation" in the country.

"In accordance with US Department of Defense policy, the name of the service members killed in action are being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete," said NATO.

It comes after six people were killed following bomb attacks in Kabul by the Islamic State group during the Persian New Year celebrations in a Shia district of the capital.

American combat deaths have become relatively rare since 2014 when Afghan forces took over from US-led NATO combat troops to secure the country.

Fighting continues to flare across Afghanistan more than a week after the latest round of talks between the US and the Taliban ended in Doha, as Washington continues to seek an end to the nearly 18-year war.

The country remains on edge as winter comes to end, with warmer weather sparking the potential onset of a new fighting season as analysts warn the Taliban may increase attacks to gain leverage at the negotiating table.

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is leading efforts to reach a peace deal with the Taliban before Afghanistan's presidential elections which have been pushed back to September.  

Kabul has complained that it has been frozen out of the talks with the Taliban, which refuses to negotiate with Afghan officials describing the authority as a US puppet government.