4 US soldiers killed in rocket attack on Bagram

Four US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in a rocket attack on Bagram Airbase, US military officials say.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details on the deaths, said on Tuesday that the troops were killed by indirect fire, likely a mortar or rocket.

Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bagram Airbase is the main US base and largest detention facility in Afghanistan. It is located just outside of Kabul.

Earlier in the day, Washington removed a series of preconditions for talks with the Taliban to facilitate the first official negotiations with the militant group in Qatar.

According to the website icasualties.org, 2,238 US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led war began in 2001.

The increasing number of military casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the US and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.

The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan, despite the presence of over 100,000 US-led troops.