An American soldier was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan when his patrol was ambushed in central Uruzgan province, the U.S. military said early Wednesday.
The soldier’s identity was being withheld pending notification of his family, officials from the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan said. No other U.S. or Afghan forces were injured in the attack.
“The soldier was medically evacuated to the forward surgical team in Tarin Kowt, where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel,” according to a military news release. “His remains were transported to Kandahar Airfield for movement back to the United States.”
A memorial service was held Wednesday morning at Kandahar before the soldier’s remains were flown out, officials said.
At least 140 American soldiers have been killed in and around Afghanistan since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the Pentagon.
The incident comes after a weekend of clashes between suspected Taliban holdovers and joint U.S.-Afghan patrols left several dead and wounded in several parts of the country. U.S. military officials in recent weeks have warned of increased violence as spring arrives in Afghanistan and winter snows melt.
Tuesday’s death occurred near the town of Deh Rahwood, which has been a trouble spot since shortly after the October 2001 assault by U.S. forces. In July 2002, Deh Rahwood was the scene of a disputed U.S. air raid that left scores dead. American officials said they fired on enemy fighters who first targeted American aircraft; local Afghans claimed the dead were civilians attending a wedding party.
According to The Associated Press, four Afghan police officers were killed and two others kidnapped in a separate incident Tuesday in southern Afghanistan. The AP quoted a local mayor as saying Taliban fighters ambushed a police convoy, sparking a gunfight.
In a third incident, two civilians were injured by gunfire after two roadside bombs were detonated near a passing U.S. military convoy in Nangarhar province.
