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An American service member was killed Wednesday and an unspecific number wounded while battlingIslamic Stateloyalists in eastern Afghanistan.

Members of the Afghan army also sustainedcasualties in what the U.S. military characterized as a partnered operation.

Officials in Kabul have said little else aboutthe engagement, releasing only a brief statementindicating that the wounded were evacuated for medical treatment, the families of those involved were being notified, and the mission was said to be aimed at further reducing theIslamic States regional presence.

The statement doesnot specifywhere the attack occurred, althoughISIS militants are known to be active along the Pakistan border in Nangahar and Kunar provinces.

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Wednesdays fatalityisthe 11th suffered by U.S. forces in Afghanistan this year, surpassinglast years total of 10. All but one resulted from hostile enemy action, according to Defense Departmentdata. It comes, too, as the United States longest war nears the start of its 17th year, and the Trump administration remains without a clear strategy.

The ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, a group known as ISIS Khorasan, or ISIS-K, is entrenched along the countrys mountainous border with Pakistan. Backed by U.S. troops and firepower, Afghan commando units have aggressively pursued itsfighters for many months and shown some progress in disrupting their activity.

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American and Afghan troopslaunched Operation Hamza in early March. The following month, U.S. forces carried out a massive airstrike on an ISIS tunnel complex in Nangarhars Achin district, reportedly killingupward of 100 militants.At the time, U.S. officials estimated that between 400 and 700 ISIS-K militants remained in Afghanistan.

ISIS-K is an offshoot of the terrorist groups core network in Iraq and Syria, receivingtactical guidance and financial support from outside Afghanistan but few additional fighters.

About 14,000 U.S. and NATO troops remain in Afghanistan.With backing from the Pentagon, the wars top commander, Army Gen. John Nicholson, wants to expand his force by about 4,000 American troops, with a match from other NATO countries.

The White House has not committed to that plan. Some advisers havesuggested that contractors could gradually assume the training and advisory mission there, allowing U.S. troops to come home.

In bid to beat back the Taliban, Afghanistan starts expanding its commando units

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The Islamic State is fighting to the death as civilians flee Raqqa

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A US service member is killed, others wounded, fighting ISIS in Afghanistan - Washington Post