WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five U.S. military members were injured while partnering with Afghan special forces in an operation to clear areas controlled by Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday.
Army General John Nicholson said the incident took place in the last few days in Nangarhar province, but did not specify exactly when. Two of the injured service members have returned to duty, while three others were evacuated but are "in good spirits" and are expected to make a full recovery, he said.
"None of these are life-threatening injuries," Nicholson said in a briefing with reporters on Thursday.
"We will continue to stay after Daesh until they are defeated here in Afghanistan," Nicholson said, using an Arabic acronym for the militant group.
President Barack Obama in January gave U.S. commanders broader authority to target Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan. Since that time the territory controlled by the group has shrunk to areas in three or four districts in the southern part of Nangarhar province, Nicholson said.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Paul Simao)