Fourth American soldier dies following Afghanistan bomb attack

Sgt. Jason Mitchell McClary, 24, has become the fourth American to have died in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan last week.

A U.S. soldier has died from injuries suffered in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan, becoming the fourth American to have been killed by the explosion last week, the Pentagon says.

Sgt. Jason Mitchell McClary, 24, from Export, Pa., died Sunday at a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, the Pentagon announced Monday. The blast occurred Tuesday near Ghazni city, Afghanistan, less than 100 miles from Kabul, the Defense Department said in a statement. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for it.

"The Rock battalion expresses its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends tragically affected by the loss of Sgt. Jason McClary. He epitomizes what it is to be a professional, a warrior and a soldier," Lt. Col. Christopher Roberts, the commander of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, said in a statement. "Sgt. McClary served honorably as an up-armored vehicle gunner for the Attack Company. His memory and contributions will never be forgotten."

A U.S. Army team prepares to place a transfer case containing the remains of Capt. Andrew P. Ross into a vehicle at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware, Friday. He was one of the four victims of the Afghanistan roadside bomb attack. (AP)

The attack had already been the deadliest this year for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Prior to Monday's announcement of McClary’s death, the bombing had already been responsible for claiming the lives of three U.S. Special Operations Forces -- two Army Green Berets and an Air Force combat controller.

McClary was assigned to 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based at Fort Carson, Colorado.

The attack is under investigation.