One American service member was killed and another wounded Tuesday by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.
Neither American has been identified. The wounded service member is in stable condition, according a statement issued by the NATO command in Kabul.
Six Afghan soldiers also were hurt. The American soldiers were conducting a walking patrol when the bomb exploded, said Army Col. Michael Lawhorn, a Kabul-based Defense Department spokesman.
The attack occurred in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, which has experienced growing violence in recent weeks as resurgent Taliban forces have reclaimed large swaths of territory previously secured by U.S. personnel. One Afghan official has said the district is on the verge of being overrun.
On Monday, U.S. military officials announced that 100 American troops were being sent to Lashkar Gah to back up Afghan forces. Afghan officials have indicated that 80 percent of Helmand province is back under Taliban control.
Tuesday's improvised explosive attack occurred during a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol, the NATO statement says. Officials said the mission was part of NATO's broad "train, advise and assist" activities. The unit struck by the roadside bomb was not a part of the additional 100 troops deployed Monday, Lawhorn said.
An investigation in underway, NATO said.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss," said Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, "but remain committed to helping our Afghan partners provide a better future for themselves and their children."
Helmand province has been the scene of ferocious violence throughout the Afghanistan war, which marks its 15th anniversary this fall. Tens of thousands of U.S. Marines spent several years fighting to secure the region, which is home to a lucrative poppy trade that continues to fund a robust insurgency. Though the Taliban were repelled there, they have steadily moved back in as American and coalition troops have withdrawn and Afghan security forces have proved too weak to keep the peace.
An Army Green Beret, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew McClintock, was killed in Helmand in January.
A U.S. military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, said Monday that the new deployment of American troops to Lashkar Gah is meant to support the Afghans and "assist the police zone."
There are about 700 U.S. troops in Helmand. They are based at Camp Shorab, formerly known as Camp Bastion, which is connected to the facility formerly known as Camp Leatherneck. The troops are conducting a train, advise and assist mission with an Afghan Army Corps headquarters and an Afghan Police Zone headquarters.
There are approximately 10,000 American troops deployed to Afghanistan, though that number will fall to 8,400 by the end of this year as part of President Obama's withdrawal plan. U.S. troops are focused on two missions: training and assisting the Afghan army, and counterterrorism.
The recent casualties and additional deployments to Helmand come just a few weeks after Nicholson, the top commander in Afghanistan, expressed optimism about the situation there.
"Generally speaking, the Afghan security forces have accomplished their objectives in Helmand thus far, securing the major population centers," he said during a press briefing on July 28.
"The
enemy was active earlier in the year, attacking isolated check points. But frankly, in the last two weeks, the enemy activity has dropped off to a — to a much lower level. Now, fighting season's not over. We anticipate we'll see other enemy attempts to regain territory in Helmand. But thus far, things are on a real positive trajectory in the 215th Corps."
Andrew Tilghman is the executive editor for Military Times. He is a former Military Times Pentagon reporter and served as a Middle East correspondent for the Stars and Stripes. Before covering the military, he worked as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle in Texas, the Albany Times Union in New York and The Associated Press in Milwaukee.
