Two U.S. soldiers were reportedly killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, bringing the total number of soldiers killed in the country this year to 14. According to The New York Times, the soldiers killed were members of an Army Special Forces unit who were carrying out an operation in Faryab Province. U.S. and Afghan officials said the soldiers likely died in a firefight, with the district governor of Almar claiming Afghan commandos and American soldiers involved in the operation were fighting until Wednesday’s early morning hours. U.S. military command did not provide details on the deaths. A total of 13 U.S. troops died in Afghanistan last year, and 11 died in the country in 2017. This comes as American forces have taken a more aggressive role in Afghanistan, after previously drawing down troop numbers and taking an advisory role in Afghan forces’ fight against the Taliban. U.S. diplomats are also in the midst of trying to negotiate with the Taliban to end the war that has lasted almost two decades.
