U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military says one service member has been killed in action in Afghanistan. The announcement Thursday from Kabul provided no details. It said the matter is under investigation.
In line with standard practice, the name of the person will not be officially released until 24 hours after family members have been notified.
The U.S. military mission in Afghanistan is focused mainly on supporting and advising Afghan forces, as well fighting al Qaeda and other extremist groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) affiliate in eastern Afghanistan.
The Pentagon says there are about 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan. The fatality confirmed on Thursday brings the number of U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan in 2018 to seven.
The last American death in the country was a troop killed last month in an apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan.