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Two U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan, NATO says

The deaths of the American service members come at a time of intensified peace talks.

A U.S. armored vehicle patrols in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. Two U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan on Friday while carrying out an operation, the U.S.-led NATO coalition said.
A U.S. armored vehicle patrols in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. Two U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan on Friday while carrying out an operation, the U.S.-led NATO coalition said.Read moreRahmat Gul / AP

KABUL, Afghanistan - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Friday while carrying out operations, the U.S.-led NATO coalition said.

No more details were provided and their names will not be disclosed until 24 hours after their next of kin are notified, according to Department of Defense policy, but their deaths come as the United States plans to withdraw its 14,000-troop advisory mission in Afghanistan.

President Donald Trump recently tied the withdrawal to progress being made toward a peaceful settlement aimed at ending the 18-year war.

Despite the talks, Afghanistan is suffering from crippling violence, with a record number of civilian casualties last year. On Thursday, a string of bombs exploded in Kabul as Afghans celebrated the Persian New Year, Nowruz, killing six and wounding 23 more.

Peace talks between the United States and the Taliban have intensified in recent months, negotiations that have rankled the Afghan government in Kabul, which has been excluded from the process.

Parallel talks have also been held in Moscow, and in an effort to expand internationally, the U.S. chief negotiator, Afghan-born Zalmay Khalilzad, is hosting his Russian, Chinese and European Union counterparts in Washington on Thursday and Friday.

Last week relations between Washington and Kabul hit a new low when Afghanistan's national security adviser, Hamidullah Mohib, charged that any U.S. deal with the Taliban would "sell out" his country and "dishonor" American troops who died and fought in the conflict. He added that Khalilzad was acting out of personal ambition.

In response, Mohib was barred from any future dealings with U.S. officials, Afghan and U.S. media reported.