US soldier killed in Afghan gun battle
An American soldier has been killed in a gun battle with enemy forces in eastern Afghanistan today, the US 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, the headquarters of US forces in Afghanistan.
"The firefight started when enemy forces engaged US forces at approximately 4am," the statement said.
"The soldier was initially taken to a forward operating base in eastern Afghanistan and died during surgery."
Two other soldiers were injured in two separate incidents in the last 24 hours, the statement said, without giving further information.
Fifteen US servicemen have been killed in combat or hostile situations in Afghanistan since the US-led anti-terror campaign began last autumn. The most recent fatality was on May 19.
