A U.S. service member was killed Thursday and another wounded when suspected Taliban insurgents ambushed a group of U.S. military engineers in the southeastern province of Paktika, the U.S. military said in a statement. According to the statement, the ambush took place in Orgun district of the province. The wounded soldier was taken to a nearby U.S. base for medical treatment, said the statement. "Enemy combatants attacked the engineers convoy with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades near a construction project on the road between Sharona and Orgun-E," the statement said, according to DPA. "This is a tragic event for all of us," said Brig. Gen. Jack Sterling, Combined Joint Task Force-76 deputy commanding general. Since being deployed in Afghanistan following the fall of extremist Taliban regime in late 2001, 177 U.S. soldiers have been killed in the country. Afghan military officials say insurgents are trying to sabotage Afghan parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18.
