WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Carter said an attacker used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device killing a patrol outside the airbase.
"It is with deep regret that I learned today that six US service members died in Afghanistan Monday," Carter stated. "We are still learning all of the details, but two other service members and a US contractor were also injured."
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, according to media reports.
Afghanistan remains in a political and social turmoil as the Taliban and other extremist organizations such as the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, take advantage of the country’s persistent security gaps and instability.
The US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan formally ended its International Security Assistance Force combat operations on December 31, 2014, but it transitioned to a non-combat mission in the country.
