A “series of oversights” led an American military unit in Afghanistan to fall in a trap set up by the Taliban that ended up causing the death of a U.S. Army soldier in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, a known stronghold of the terrorist group, the New York Times (NYT) revealed this week.

On Tuesday, NYT identified the deceased National Guard soldier as Specialist James A. Slape, noting that his death on October 4 “was the result of a series of oversights by a military unit that frequently used a small strip of desert as a patrol route and observation post, prompting Taliban militants to bury explosives nearby, military officials familiar with the matter said.”

The Times explained:

American ground units are typically trained to vary their patrol routes and20,390 injuries, according to the Pentagon. The majority of fatalities took place under the previous administration.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which has intensified efforts to bring the Taliban to the peace negotiation table, inherited chaotic conditions in Afghanistan.

Insurgent IEDs are considered one of the top killers of U.S.-NATO troops, Afghan forces, and civilians.

Helmand, the top opium-producing province in Afghanistan, is one of the deadliest regions in the country.

Afghanistan is the world’s top supplier of opium and its heroin derivative, which serve as the primary sources of income for the Taliban.