The U.S. military has announced that two service members were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday. At this time, their names are being withheld until 24 hours after families are notified of their deaths, in accordance with Department of Defense policy. Details surrounding the deaths of service members are also being withheld at this time.
The deaths of the two service members come just one day after a visit to Kabul by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He said in a tweet, “Afghanistan has come far in the last 18 years. Afghans yearn for #peace and we share their desire to end the conflict. Peace would offer Afghans and the wider region a different future, one which we are ready to support.” During his visit, which had not been announced, Pompeo expressed that he would like to achieve the peaceful goals by September of this year.
Afghanistan has come far in the last 18 years. Afghans yearn for #peace and we share their desire to end the conflict. Peace would offer Afghans and the wider region a different future, one which we are ready to support. pic.twitter.com/tDGo0HSmEI
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 25, 2019
Talks of peace between Afghanistan and the Taliban have been ongoing since January. Though the Taliban has expressed willingness to achieve peace with Afghanistan, they remain politically divided with the Afghan government. The U.S. is in negotiations to assure that the Taliban will not harbor terrorists once their troops are removed. The Taliban has also been waging war with terrorist group ISIS-Khorasan, an affiliate of the Islamic State.
A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, claims that the two service members were killed in an ambush in eastern Wardak Province, though these details have not been confirmed.
The deaths on Wednesday are the ninth and tenth deaths of U.S. service members in Afghanistan so far this year.
