Kabul, Afghanistan — A U.S. service member was killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, the military said Wednesday, raising to five the number of Americans killed in less than a week as violence escalates ahead of next month's parliamentary elections.
Elsewhere, an Afghan villager claimed a woman and child had died in a coalition airstrike during fighting earlier in the week.
The bomb exploded Tuesday near a vehicle in eastern Ghazni province where an American unit was conducting operations to "disrupt enemy activity in the region," the military said.
Two American troops were evacuated to the main U.S. base at Bagram, north of Kabul; one died shortly after arrival while the other was in stable condition.
Three U.S. troops and an Afghan interpreter also were wounded in a clash at a cave complex near Wazikwa in eastern Patika province, the military said. Six militants died in the fighting.
Sporadic attacks across the country have deepened concerns over security ahead of key legislative elections set for Sept. 18. The vote represents the country's next step toward democracy after two decades of war and civil strife.
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