Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
A U.S. flag at a base in Afghanistan in November 2014. Photo: Wakil Koshar/AFP via Getty Images
Two American service members were killed and six others wounded in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday in a firefight, the U.S. military said in a statement to news outlets including Axios.
The latest: The two soldiers killed were named by the Defense Department Sunday as Sgt. Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, and Sgt. Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28. They were both posthumously promoted.
Details: "[R]eports indicate an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun" in Sherzad district, Nangarhar province, the statement said. The wounded were being treated at a U.S. medical facility following the attack.
- A Nangarhar provincial council official told AP "the gunman was killed."
- Col. Sonny Leggett, spokesperson for the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement earlier that a combined U.S. and Afghan force were "conducting an operation in Nangarhar province" when they were "engaged by direct fire."
- "We are still collecting information and the cause or motive behind the attack is unknown at this time," Leggett said in the later statement.
The big picture: U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been in Qatar in recent weeks meeting with representatives of the Taliban, which has been active in Nangarhar province, per AP.
- During his State of the Union address last Tuesday, President Trump referenced the peace talks and paid tribute to U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, saying that it's not the function of the U.S. "to serve other nations as law enforcement agencies."
Where it stands: More than 2,400 U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of the country following the Sept. 11 attacks.
- 23 U.S. soldiers died in Afghanistan in 2019 — the most to die in one year while fighting militant groups there since 2014.
Go deeper: Trump may reduce troops in Afghanistan without Taliban deal
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.