WASHINGTON: Two US troops have been killed fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Thursday.
"Two US servicemembers were killed in action last night in southern Nangarhar, Afghanistan, during an operation against ISIS Khorasan," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said, using an alternate acronym for the jihadists.
America has thousands of troops in Afghanistan. While most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces, the US also has a contingent operating in a counter-terrorism role.
US Forces Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the two troops' next of kin.
An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8.
The US military this month dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in a remote area of eastern Nangarhar province.