US service member killed in Afghanistan: NATO

A U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement, bringing the U.S. combat death toll this year to eight.

The identity of the service member and details about the incident will be shared at a later stage, said Debra Richardson spokesperson for the Resolute Support in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon says there are about 14,000 U.S. service members in Afghanistan. The U.S. military’s mission is focused mainly on guiding and aiding Afghan forces battling the Taliban, which was ousted from power in 2001.

More than 2,400 U.S. forces have died in the 17-year-old war, America’s longest conflict.