KABUL — Two American service members were killed Wednesday when theirhelicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan while supporting combatoperations, according to the U.S. military.
The military said the fatalities brought to 19 the number of U.S. combatdeaths in Afghanistan this year, adding that the incident is underinvestigation.
The Taliban said the helicopter was shot down as Afghan and U.S. forceswere preparing to launch an attack in the area, according to a statementfrom Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman.
The 19 service members killed so far this year by hostile forces surpassesthe total of 13 who died in 2018. About 2,400 have died in Afghanistansince the war began in 2001. In August, two Army Special Forces soldiersdied of wounds suffered in small-arms fire in Faryab province. Anotherservice member died in a suicide bombing in Kabul in September thatprompted President Trump to break off talks with the Taliban.
The Trump administration is intent on bringing homelinkbulk of U.S. forces by next year. But efforts to negotiate a peace deal tofacilitate the withdrawal were scuttled in September. Since then, top U.S.negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad has sought to restart talks by negotiating aprisoner swap as goodwill gesture.
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On Tuesday, an Australian and an American were freed from Taliban custody,and the Afghan government released three high-profile militants linked tothe Taliban.
Over the past year, the United States reduced its troop strengthunilaterally, cutting 2,000 troops and bringing the total number ofAmerican troops in Afghanistan down to about 13,000. – Washington Post
