The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday two U.S. servicemembers were killed during combat against the Islamic State [Daesh] in Afghanistan's Nangahar Province.
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said the deaths occurred in an area in eastern Afghanistan where a small but destructive Islamic State cell poses a threat for Afghan and coalition forces.
"Two U.S. service members were killed in action last night in southern Nangarhar, Afghanistan, during an operation against ISIS Khorasan," Davis told reporters.
The Defense Department would not reveal their identity until after notifying next of kin.
The United States is part of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission coalition in Afghanistan to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces in efforts to support Afghanistan's government from threats such as the Taliban and the Islamic State.
On April 8, a U.S. special operations soldier died during an operation against the Islamic State, also in the eastern Nangarhar Province.
