Bomb kills 4 U.S. troops in Afghanistan

[David]

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A roadside bomb exploded Sunday as a U.S. armored vehicle drove by in eastern Afghanistan, killing four American service members, the U.S. military said.

The armored vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive in the Pech Valley, Kunar province, where the Americans were patrolling to keep a road open to civilian and military traffic, the military said in a statement.

Earlier, Kunar Gov. Asadullah Wafa said a remote-controlled mine exploded, hitting a convoy of American troops on patrol in the Watapur area of the province, killing three and wounding one.

At least 220 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.