Two US service members have been killed and two more injured in a roadside blast in Afghanistan, according to a statement from NATO, as cited by Reuters.
As per reports, the blast occurred on Saturday in the country’s Kandahar province. The names of the service members have not been disclosed, in accordance with US Defence Department rules.
NATO officials earlier confirmed that a blast had struck US serviceman, but no casualties were mentioned at the time, with an alliance spokesperson saying that the situation was still being assessed.
More than 2,400 American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the US presence in the country, with many attacks claimed by Taliban insurgents occurring in 2019. In November, US President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Bagram, the largest US base in Afghanistan, to celebrate Thanksgiving with American troops on the ground.
The United States and its allies have been conducting operations in Afghanistan since 2001 as part of the ongoing War on Terror, targeting various groups, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda.