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Aishwarya Airy and Kim Hjelmgaard Published 3:29 a.m. ET Nov. 20, 2019 | Updated 4:51 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2019

In this Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017 file photo, A US military helicopter flies over the site of a suicide bomb that struck a NATO convoy in Kandahar south of Kabul, Afghanistan. In an "open letter" to U.S. President Donald Trump, Afghanistan's Taliban on Tuesday reiterated their call for a withdrawal of troops to end the protracted war.(Photo: STR, AP)

Two American service members were killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said without providing further details.

The crash is under investigation but the military saidpreliminary reportsindicated the incidentwas not caused by enemy fire, despite aclaim from the Taliban that itshot down a helicopter in eastern Logar province, causing fatalities.

The deaths of the service membersbrings the number of U.S. combatfatalitiesthis year in Afghanistan to 19. Approximately 14,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, and 2,400 U.S. soldiers have died in the U.S.-led war since 2001.

The U.S. military statement saidthat in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members killed in action would bewithheld until 24 hours after notification of their next of kin is complete.

A U.S. service member last died in Afghanistan on Sept. 16 and Wednesday's crash comes amid signsthe U.S.,Taliban and Afghan government aretrying to restart peace talks after President Donald Trump canceled them after aTaliban suicide-bomb attack in Kabul on Sept.5that killed a U.S.soldier and11 others.

Two Western hostages, one American and one Australian, were freed by the Taliban on Tuesdayafter more than three years in captivity. Their release was part ofa prisoner exchange that freedthree high-profile Taliban members from the militant organization's fearedHaqqani network, known for targeting civilians.

More: Bombs, missiles falling at record pace in long-running Afghanistan war

More: Taliban frees American, Australian hostages as part of prisoner swap

SOURCE ESRI(Photo: USA TODAY)

Trump wantsthe majority of U.S. forces home from Afghanistan by next year and he has sought to bring together U.S. negotiators and representatives from the Taliban and the Afghan government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has signaledthe White House views the prisoner exchange as agoodwill gesture from the Taliban that could pave the way for a revival of the peace talks.

These talks were scheduled to beheld in September at the U.S. Camp David presidential retreat, but collapsed after the Sept. 5. suicide-bomb attack.

In a tweet Wednesday, Trump suggested the peace talks might get back on track. "We join families of Kevin King & Tim Weeks in celebrating their release from Taliban captivity," the president wrote. "Lets hope this leads to more good things on the peace front like a ceasefire that will help end this long war," he added.

The Taliban often claims responsibility for attacks on U.S.-led forcesand spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid insisted in an interview it shot down the helicopter as "American invaders and their hirelings" raided Taliban posts. Mujahid addedit was not unusual for Taliban fighters to engage with U.S. and Afghan military forces even when there are peace talks, or potential ones, taking place. He also said that it was now the responsibility of the U.S. to make "peace arrangements possible."

Airy reported from Washington, D.C.; Hjelmgaard from London

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Two American service members killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash - USA TODAY