Reported: U.S. troops in Afghanistan may have been killed

Updated

Two U.S. special forces troops killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday may have been struck by friendly fire in an operation targeting the emir of Islamic State militants in Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters that the military was investigating if the two troops may have been killed by ground fire, either by American forces or Afghan commandos taking part in the raid, though it appeared to be accidental.

"We are investigating the circumstances of the combat deaths of the two Army Rangers in the beginning of what was an intense three-hour fire fight," Davis said. "It is possible these rangers were struck by friendly fire."

Davis said the target of the raid was Abdul Hasib, the emir of Islamic State in Afghanistan. The U.S. military suspected he was killed in the operation, but could not yet confirm it.

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The operation was carried out by 50 U.S. Army Rangers along with 40 Afghan commandos, and about 35 Islamic State fighters are believed to have been killed, he said.

Islamic State's offshoot in Afghanistan, known as the Sunni jihadist group's so-called Khorasan Province, is suspected of carrying out several attacks on minority Shi'ite Muslim targets.

U.S. officials say intelligence suggests Islamic State is based overwhelmingly in Nangarhar and neighboring Kunar province.

Estimates of its strength in Afghanistan vary. U.S. officials believe the movement has only 700 fighters but Afghan officials estimate it has about 1,500.

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