Pentagon on Wednesday identified a US soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon on Wednesday identified a US soldier who was killed by a roadside bomb near the capital of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province.
Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson died while on patrol near Lashkar Gah on Tuesday.
Another American and six Afghan soldiers were also wounded in the blast.
According to a statement, Thompson, from Irvine, California, was 28.
"I extend our sincere condolences to the family, friends and Sergeant Thompson's fellow service members, as well as gratitude for his selfless and honorable service," said General Joseph Votel, who heads US Central Command.
Thompson was the first American combat fatality in Afghanistan since January, when a US soldier was killed while conducting a mission with Afghan special forces in Helmand's Marjah district.
NATO on Monday announced the deployment of additional troops to Helmand to help train local forces counter the Taliban.