US military says 2 service personnel killed in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. military says two service members have been killed in Afghanistan. It did not offer any details surrounding the circumstances of their deaths.

The statement says the killings occurred Wednesday, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a quick visit to the Afghan capital of Kabul where he said Washington was hopeful of a peace deal before Sept. 1.

It's not clear if the deaths were the result of the war, which at nearly 18 years is America's longest running. The United States is holding direct talks with the Taliban to secure a deal that will bring the warring sides together in peace.

The U.S. statement says the identities of the soldiers would not be released until their families had been notified.