Bomb Kills Two U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan

An improvised bomb ripped through a U.S. patrol Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, killing two American soldiers and wounding one about 250 miles southwest of Kabul, U.S. military officials said.

The troops were attacked near Deh Rawood in Oruzgan province, where the military has clashed repeatedly with Taliban militants.

Maj. Mark McCann said the wounded soldier was in stable condition at a nearby American base. McCann declined to identify the soldiers or their unit.

Residents of Deh Rawood said they saw three U.S. soldiers being pulled from the wreckage of a vehicle that had been blown up by a mine or a roadside bomb. The blast occurred as the vehicle crossed a dry riverbed, they said.

A total of 110 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban government in late 2001, authorities say.

Wednesday’s deaths came after Taliban guerrillas ambushed and killed an Afghan district official and two bodyguards Tuesday night in Deh Rawood. The official, Naseem Khan, was in charge of finance in a district of neighboring Helmand province, Oruzgan Police Chief Rozi Khan said.