A US soldier was killed and three others were wounded in a firefight with militants in Eastern Afghanistan this morning, a military spokesman said.
The militants had detonated two improvised explosive devices before opening fire on the US troops in an attack close to the city of Asadabad, 175 km east of Kabul, in the Kunar province.
"We regret to announce one US soldier was killed and three were wounded," said Major Mark McCann, adding he had no other details.
It was the second death of the New Year among an 18,000-strong US force hunting remnants of the Taliban militia and Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
A US soldier died from wounds after being shot by a militant in a raid on a village in the Western province of Herat on Sunday. The militant was subsequently shot dead by US troops.
McCann said US forces had been tipped off that the militant was hiding in a compound in the village, close to the former Soviet airbase of Shindand.