File photo: Xinhua

Two US service members were killed after being hit by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan. The US military released a statement about the deaths Saturday morning, adding that two others were injured in the attack.

The Taliban immediately took responsibility for the attack, with a spokesman saying it took place in the southern Kandahar province.

Last year was among the deadliest for US forces in Afghanistan, with the Associated Press reporting 23 American troops killed, even as Washington attempted to engage in peace talks with the Taliban. More than 2,400 U.S. service members in total have been killed in the country since 2001.