The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the assault. A coalition statement says the three troops died Wednesday morning in the province of Kunar. It provided no further details, though initial reports said the attack targeted a NATO foot patrol near the headquarters of the provincial government. NATO does not confirm the nationalities of slain troops until the families have been notified. More in Afghanistan: The way forward U.N.: Dip in Afghan civilian casualties “hollow”Officials: Gunmen in Afghan uniform kill NATO troopTruck Bomb injures U.S. soldiers at Afghan base A spokesman for the local government, Wasifullah Wasify, told the Associated Press that at least one Afghan civilian was also killed and three were wounded in the blast. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid says two of the group’s fighters targeted a NATO patrol in Kunar. He claims they killed several foreign troops. So far, 212 U.S. service personnel have been killed in Afghanistan in 2012, according to the independent I-casualties organization. That figure does not include the three unconfirmed U.S. deaths reported on Wednesday. In 2011, 418 U.S. service personnel were killed in the country.