Two U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan

The Pentagon has identified the two American soldiers killed in a “combat related incident” in southern Afghanistan on Monday. The deaths of Pfc. Brandon Jay Kreischer, 20, and Spc. Michael Isaiah Nance, 24, in Tarin Kowt is under investigation. Kreischer, who is from Ohio, and Chicago-native Nance were both assigned to the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C. Their deaths bring the total number of American troops killed in the country this year to 12.

What’s the situation in Afghanistan? The United States has about 14,000 troops supporting and training Afghan soldiers in the country’s 18-year war. Despite the reinforcement, the Taliban and Islamic State continue to carry out near-daily attacks throughout the country, mostly targeting security forces. On Wednesday, a roadside bomb ripped through a bus in the western Farah province, killing at least 32 people. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Dig deeper: I reported on the complex process to end Afghanistan’s war earlier this month.