WASHINGTON — Former NFL defensive back Pat Tillman (search) died while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, U.S. military officials confirmed to Fox News on Friday.

Complete details about Tillman's death were not immediately released but Pentagon officials said he was killed inside southeast Afghanistan while taking part in a special operations action. The military said there were other fatalities but it was not clear how many.

The area has been the site of sporadic firefights in recent days and is a location where U.S. forces have been hunting remnants of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime as well as Al Qaeda fighters.

The Arizona Cardinals (search), the team Tillman played for before making his decision to join the armed forces, had no immediate comment on the reports. The team may hold a news conference later Friday.

Tillman, 27, shocked fans when he turned down a $3.6 million contract with the Cardinals to be an Army ranger.

The Arizona State University graduate spent five seasons with the Cardinals, from 1998 to 2002, before joining the Army.

Stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., Tillman was deployed overseas in 2003. His brother, Kevin is also an Army Ranger serving in Afghanistan and also was a professional athlete — Kevin Tillman played baseball for the Cleveland Indians.