American Service Member Killed and Others Wounded in Afghanistan Raid

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American Service Member Killed and Others Wounded in Afghanistan Raid
By MICHAEL R. GORDONAUG. 16, 2017
RE: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/w...ghanistan.html

WASHINGTON — An American service member died in Afghanistan on Wednesday after being wounded in an operation against the Islamic State’s affiliate in the country, the military said.

American and Afghan troops were also injured in the raid, which took place in eastern Afghanistan. American military spokesmen did not disclose how many were hurt or provide details about their mission.

Even as the United States has sought to help Afghan forces push back the Taliban, it has been involved in a separate fight with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, as the affiliate is known.

In April, the United States dropped a massive conventional bomb on the extremists, the so-called mother of all bombs. The United States has repeatedly carried out drone attacks to kill the group’s leaders.

The latest operation comes as the Trump administration is assessing its strategy toward Afghanistan in a review that is a month behind schedule.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this week that the options being discussed include sending several thousand more troops — the course recommended by the Pentagon — or using contractors or withdrawing forces. President Trump plans to assemble his national security team on Friday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, to continue the review.

Wednesday’s combat death marked the 11th time this year that an American has been killed in the Afghan conflict. Two American soldiers were killed and four wounded earlier this month in a suicide bomb attack in Kandahar Province.

Also, in Iraq, two Army soldiers were killed and five were wounded on Sunday when an artillery shell exploded prematurely during combat operations against the Islamic State. But military officials said it was an accident and not the result of enemy action.