Two US military service members killed in Afghanistan
Roadside bomb explosion seems certain to stall Taliban talks
Two US service members wounded, military says
Associated Press in Washington
Sat 11 Jan 2020 10.11 EST Last modified on Sun 12 Jan 2020 15.14 EST
US soldiers look out over hillsides in Afghanistan. Photograph: Thomas Watkins/AFP via Getty Images
Two US service members were killed and two injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the US military said on Saturday.
In keeping with defense department rules, the military did not identify the service members.
The Taliban immediately took responsibility for the attack. Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a spokesman, said it occurred in the southern Kandahar province.
More than 2,400 US service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Last year was one of the deadliest for the US even as Washington engaged in talks with the Taliban.
The latest attack seemed certain to stall fresh efforts to restart the peace talks between Washington and the Taliban. US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been pressing the insurgents to agree to a ceasefire or at least reduce violent attacks.
Afghanistan's road to peace still full of obstacles
Earlier, Nato and Afghan officials confirmed a roadside bomb hit a US army vehicle, without mentioning casualties. In a short statement, a Nato spokesman said officials were still "assessing the situation and will provide more information as it became available".
An Afghan official said the attack had taken place in the Dand district of Kandahar province.
The Taliban control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and US forces, even as they hold peace talks. Scores of Afghan civilians are killed in the crossfire or by roadside bombs planted by militants.
In November, two US service members were killed when their helicopter crashed in eastern Logar province. The US military at the time said preliminary reports did not indicate it was caused by enemy fire, though the Taliban claimed to have shot down the helicopter – a claim the US dismissed.
US ambassador John Bass left Kabul last week, ending his two-year tenure as America's top diplomat in the country.