Two members of 3rd Special Forces Group were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast while traveling along a road in Ghanzi province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, November 27, 2018. Three other U.S. service members and a U.S. contractor were wounded. The wounded service members and contractor were evacuated and received medical care.
This incident is the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2018. The event occurred when a convoy of U.S. forces were sent to battle the Taliban in Andar district.
The Taliban have claimed credit for the IED attack. Ghazni province has been the scene of a lot of fighting over the past several months. Security in Ghazni province has deteriorated over the past year and U.S. forces have had to intervene numerous times. Of the 19 districts in Ghazni – 12 are controlled by the Taliban and six more are contested. [1] The situation is so bad in the province that it was the only province of 34 provinces not able to participate in the November 2018 parliamentary elections.
In August 2018 the Taliban overran parts of the city. Ghazni city was under siege for five days last summer. U.S. forces (aviation and ground) were instrumental in clearing the city of Taliban. Three Special Forces detachments with their Afghan partners – Afghan Commandos – were sent to the city to assist in clearing operations. MQ-9 Reapers ad A-10 Warthogs also played a bid role in clearing Taliban from Ghazni city.
As of November 27th there have been 13 fatalities and over 100 wounded U.S. service members in 2018. Currently the U.S. has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan. NATO countries and partner nations also contribute troops as well.
Editorial Note: This article will be updated periodically as more news develops. Typically there is a ‘news cap’ until next of kin notification (NOK).
Footnotes:
[1] “Taliban kills 3 US soldiers in Ghazni roadside bombing”, Long War Journal, November 27, 2018.
News Reports:
“U.S. Service Members Killed in Afghanistan”, Resolute Support Afghanistan, November 27, 2018.
“Three US troops killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan”, Stars and Stripes, November 27, 2018.
“Three US troops killed, three others wounded in IED blast in Afghanistan”, Military Times, November 27, 2018.
