This story was revised on 4/9/19 to reflect news that a contractor, previously reported among the slain, was found alive.

At least three US soldiers were killed, and three more American soldiers were wounded when a car bomb tore through a security convoy near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

The attack was initially reported to have also claimed a contractor, though officials have subsequently confirmed that he is alive. The contractor was apparently treated alongside wounded civilians and then identified and returned to Bagram. He is still being treated for injuries.



The Taliban was quick to claim credit, saying it was not only a bombing, but a suicide attack. The Taliban did not further elaborate on the attack, and the Pentagon and NATO are both being similarly tight-lipped, citing reporting rules.



Either way, this is the deadliest attack on US troops since November, when a similar bomb attack killed three near Ghazni. This brings the total number of American soldiers killed in 2019 to seven.



Though the US and the Taliban are still conducting peace talks, they each continue to carry out strikes against one another, trying to improve their respective position in the war ahead of the possible peace deal.



