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U.S. soldier killed in Afghan firefight

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed Sunday during a firefight in eastern Afghanistan, an Army spokesman said.

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The soldier was killed about 5 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m EDT) when a patrol came under enemy fire, Capt. Steven O'Connor said.

The soldier's name was withheld pending notification of relatives.

Some U.S. forces are operating in the area in support of Operation Condor, a search of the Khowst-Paktia region led by Britain's Royal Marines.

It is unclear if the Special Forces patrol was involved in Operation Condor or if it was in the same part of eastern Afghanistan.

On Thursday, an Australian special forces unit was fired on for five hours by suspected al Qaeda or Taliban fighters.

The U.S. Army said Saturday that coalition aircraft responded with airstrikes, killing 10 people.