Two American Troops Killed in Kunduz

Fighting in Kunduz on Thursday claimed the lives of two American service members, three Afghan soldiers and 25 civilians.The deaths came during a joint US-Afghan raid against the Taliban supported by NATO airstrikes. The United States is still trying to figure out what went wrong.The service members have not yet been identified, pending notification of their next of kin.Four US troops were also wounded while conducting combat operations as part of a “train, advise and assist” team in the northern province of Kunduz.Afghan officials are investigating the bombings and civilian casualties, which left residents carrying over a dozen corpses, including children, to the local governor’s office as a protest.Defense Secretary Ash Carter addressed the deaths, saying that "Our service members were doing their part to help the Afghans secure their own country while protecting our homeland from those who would do us harm.”The targets of the raid were two senior Taliban commanders, who were killed during the fighting, along with 63 other insurgents. An Afghan police chief said that Afghan commandos were among the forces carrying out the raid.Although the exact circumstances of the raid are unclear, US Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland told journalists in Brussels that “friendly forces received direct fire and airstrikes were conducted to defend themselves.”

Kunduz a continual hotspot of fighting and Taliban activity

In early October, the Taliban briefly overran the provincial capital of Kunduz. They had done so last year as well, and during that fighting US forces dropped a bomb on a Doctors Without Borders clinic, killing 42 people.Sixteen US military personnel were disciplined for that incident, which stemmed from communication errors with Afghan troops.Thus far, four American troops have died in combat in Afghanistan, including one by a bomb in Nagarhar province, another by an IED in Helmand, and one killed by small arms fire in Helmand.