U.S. Soldier Dies in Afghanistan; Another Slightly Hurt by Bomb

A U.S. soldier was killed and another was slightly injured by a bomb in separate incidents in the same Afghan province, the U.S. military said Thursday.

“A special operations service member died as a result of injuries received during operations in the vicinity of Orgun” in Paktika province on Wednesday, a statement on the U.S. Central Command’s Web site said.

The soldier’s name was withheld pending notification of relatives.

The statement came after U.S. military officials said a soldier was slightly wounded by a bomb while on patrol in southeastern Afghanistan and at least three Afghan civilians were hurt when a U.S. military helicopter fired on their car.

The improvised bomb exploded near the U.S. base at Shkin close to the border with Pakistan on Wednesday evening, Lt. Col. Douglas Lefforge said at the U.S. headquarters at Bagram, north of Kabul, the capital.

Also in Paktika on Wednesday, at least three Afghan civilians were wounded when a U.S. helicopter fired on their car near Orgun district, police chief Dawlat Khan said.

Khan believes that the helicopter crew may have mistaken the civilians for guerrillas.