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SEAL Team 6 members among 38 killed in Afghanistan
The Navy SEALs were among 30 Americans seven Afghans and an interpreter killed in the deadliest incident for U.S. forces in the Afghanistan war when their helicopter is shot down The Seals Team6 was one of the most most celebrated of America's post-Sept. 11 military campaigns Now the Navy SEALs belong to a grimmer chapter in history: the most deadly incident for U.S. forces in the 10-year Afghanistan war Three months after they killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in neighboring Pakistan and cemented their place in military legend, the SEALs suffered a devastating loss when nearly two dozen of the elite troops were among 30 Americans who died when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan early Saturday It was the largest number of American troops killed in a single day in the war U.S. officials said the helicopter appeared to have been felled by enemy fire, and the Taliban quickly claimed responsibility Seven Afghan commandos and a civilian interpreter also were killed
No member of the Bin Laden raid team was among the dead said a Pentagon official briefed on the casualties who was not authorized to speak publicly while families still were being notified But he said 22 of the 30 were Navy SEALs,and a significant number were members of SEAL Team 6, the unit that conducted the Bin Laden raid and is made up of just a few hundred of some of the best-trained fighters in the U.S. military The loss of so many represents a significant blow to a tightknit group that is involved in some of the most sensitive U.S. counter-terrorism operations around the world But the Taliban and its allies are likely to reap an enormous propaganda boost from the deaths The Taliban often seeks to appeal to the country's folkloric sensibilities by depicting battlefield exploits in florid fashion The downing of the U.S. helicopter in mountainous Wardak province comes at a crucial juncture of the war, as the U.S. begins a drawdown in troops in a prelude to a full-fledged withdrawal The episode could embolden the insurgency at a time when Western and Afghan officials have been hoping a weakened Taliban movement can be lured to the bargaining table
In the early hours Saturday, the SEALs joined other U.S. Special Operations forces on a raid in Wardak province, west of Kabul, the capital. Such is the clockwork regularity of these nighttime raids that they have become almost routine But this one went horribly awry Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families," Obama said in a statement Saturday. "We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied."
31 Americans Killed Including 25 SEALs in Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan A helicopter crash in Afghanistan killed 31 Americans, including as many as 25 Navy SEALs in one of the worst single-day U.S. losses of life since the war began, a senior military official told theNews early this morning A total of 38 people were on board the Chinook helicopter when it crashed overnight in the eastern Afghan province of Wardak Initial reports indicate up to 25 Navy SEALs were on the aircraft at the time It was also carrying seven Afghan Special Forces troops, one interpreter, five member helicopter crew and one dog Troops were apparently involved in a raid at the time"We are aware of an incident involving a helicopter in eastern Afghanistan," U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin Brockhoff, a NATO spokesman, told the Press "We are in the process of accessing the facts."Although the Taliban have claimed to have shot the helicopter down, the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation On July 25, a Chinook was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by the Taliban. It launched in the belly of the aircraft which made a hard landing and only two soldiers were injured in that attack but this time all on board were killed Saturday's deaths bring the total number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan to 334 this year, according to the press The last worst one-day U.S. casuality record in Afghanistan was on June 28, 2005 when 16 U.S. soldiers were killed in Kunar province after a helicopter was shot down by Taliban insurgents
