A bomb exploded next to a US military convoy in eastern Afghanistan, killing two American troops and wounding a third, the military said in a statement on Saturday.

An Afghan interpreter, who was in an armored vehicle with the victims, was also wounded in the attack on Friday in Urgun district in Paktika province, the statement said.

The wounded were evacuated by helicopter to a US base for treatment.

The attack occurred as the convoy was returning from the village of Gayan, it said. The military has started an investigation.