Two US service members killed in Afghanistan amid ISIS fight

iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Two U.S. military service members were killed Wednesday night in an anti-ISIS operation in Achin District of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, according to Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis. A third American service member was wounded in action.

Their identities, service, and unit affiliations are being withheld pending next of kin notification.

“The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice,” said Gen. John W. Nicholson, Commander, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. “On behalf of all U.S. Forces and our coalition partners, I offer our deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and fellow service members of our fallen comrades.”

ISIS-K stands for ISIS-Khorasan, a branch of the organization operating in the Khorasan region of Afghanistan.

Achin is the same district where an American soldier was killed earlier this month and where the massive ordnance air blast (MOAB) bomb was dropped on April 14.

On Monday, during a press conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Nicholson said that ISIS is attempting to establish a presence in Afghanistan, and the MOAB bomb was meant to send “a very clear message” to the group.

“I will say we were sending a very clear message to ISIS, not only to ISIS here in Afghanistan but also ISIS main,” Nicholson. “If they come here to Afghanistan, they will be destroyed. In keeping secretary’s intent, they will be annihilated.”

President Trump has ordered a review of the U.S. policy in Afghanistan.

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