The deaths of two Indiana National Guardsmen in Afghanistan brings to 6 the number of soldiers from a Valparaiso-based unit to die in the war against terror this year.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Adjutant General Major General R. Martin Umbareger announced that Spcs. Nicki Taylor of Berne and Sergio Eduardo Perez of Crown Point died Monday while clearing bombs. A rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire hit their patrol in Kandahar Province.

Taylor and Perez were members of the Valparaiso-based 713th Engineer Company that also lost 4 other members January 6th of this year in an explosion in Kandahar.