3 US troops killed in blast in Ghazni

Three US service members were killed and three wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated yesterday near the central Afghan city of Ghazni, the Nato-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement.

The Taliban, which control large parts of Ghazni province, claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded an American civilian contractor.

The Nato statement gave no details but Mohammad Arif Noori, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said an armoured vehicle carrying US troops hit a large roadside bomb in Shahbaz area, just outside the city yesterday morning. He said US Special Forces had been conducting operations with Afghan forces around Ghazni city since Monday.

The deaths are the latest in a growing toll on US forces in Afghanistan following the death of an army Ranger during an operation against Al Qaida militants in Nimruz province on Saturday. Resolute Support said the soldier had been accidentally shot by a member of Afghan partner forces.

At least 11 US service members have now died in Afghanistan this year, in combat or in so-called “insider attacks” by Afghan soldiers or police.