U.S. Soldier Dies After Firefight in Afghanistan

A U.S. soldier was killed in a firefight with enemy forces today in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.

The soldier’s unit came under fire while on patrol in the eastern province of Paktika, the military said in a statement at Bagram air base, headquarters of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

“The firefight started when enemy forces engaged U.S. forces at approximately 4 a.m.,” the statement said. “The soldier was initially medevaced to a forward operating base in eastern Afghanistan and died during surgery.”

The identity of the soldier was not immediately released.

Two other soldiers were injured in two separate incidents in the preceding 24 hours, the statement said, without giving further information.

The soldier is the 23rd U.S. service member to be killed in action since the fighting in Afghanistan began in autumn 2001. The previous fatality was on May 19.

Two U.S. Special Forces soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were injured in the capital Tuesday when an Afghan man hurled a grenade at their unmarked jeep on a crowded street.

That attack was the first grenade assault on American forces in Kabul.