TWO U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan yesterday, NATO said, the latest international casualties as the U.S. and the Taliban prepare for a new round of talks.

NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan gave no further details, but the deaths came less than 24 hours after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Kabul and said he hopes for a peace deal with the Taliban “before Sept. 1.”

“In accordance with U.S. Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete,” NATO said in a statement.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident, but previous attacks on U.S.-led NATO forces have been claimed by the Taliban.

The blast brings to nine the number of U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan so far this year, compared to 12 killed in all of 2018.

In his visit with President Ashraf Ghani, Pompeo said peace was Washington’s “highest priority.” Last September the U.S. began a fresh push to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table to end America’s longest war. (SD-Agencies)