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38 killed when Taliban shoot down chopper
38 killed when Taliban shoot down chopper
August 6, 2011 - 11:24PM
AFP
A US senior administration official says the Chinook helicopter that crashed carrying 31 US special operations forces and seven Afghan soldiers was apparently shot down by insurgents.
It was the highest number of American casualties recorded in a single incident in the decade-long war in Afghanistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated.
President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.
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The Taliban claims to have brought the helicopter down with a rocket attack early Saturday, but they have been known to make exaggerated claims in the past.
NATO says there "was enemy activity in the area".
The helicopter was downed late Friday during an anti-Taliban operation in an insurgent-infested district of the eastern province of Wardak, just southwest of the Afghan capital Kabul.
It was shot down by a Taliban rocket which completely destroyed it, the Wardak governor's spokesman said after the Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.
The death toll was given in a statement issued by Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office and was not immediately confirmed by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
"The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai expressed condolences over a NATO helicopter crash and the deaths of 31 members of US special forces," the statement said.
"The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan expresses his sympathy and deep condolences to US President Barack Obama and the family of the victims."
The statement added that seven Afghans were also killed in the crash, who the country's defence ministry confirmed were also members of the special forces.
One man who said he saw Friday's shootdown, Mohammad Saber, said the helicopter plummeted during a late night operation in his village.
"At around 10pm last night (03.30am AEST), we heard helicopters flying over us," he said.
"We were at home. We saw one of the helicopters land on the roof of a house of a Taliban commander, then shooting started.
"The helicopter later took off but soon after taking off it went down and crashed. There were other helicopters flying as well."
Wardak provincial spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the crash happened in Sayd Abad district during an operation against Taliban insurgents who have been waging war on pro-government forces since 2001.
"The US chopper that crashed last night was shot down by the Taliban as it was taking off," he said. "A rocket fired by the insurgents hit it and completely destroyed it."
He added that the helicopter had broken into several parts.
A spokesman for ISAF, the foreign military force in Afghanistan, said they would issue a statement on what had happened "at an appropriate moment."
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was responsible for shooting down the helicopter, which he said was an American Chinook, and acknowledged that eight insurgents had been killed.
Twenty-five of the dead were US Navy SEALs, US television network ABC News reported. The Pentagon declined to comment on the cause or number of deaths.
31 US forces killed in Afghanistan
Sat Aug 6, 2011 9:52AM GMT
PressTV - 31 US forces killed in Afghanistan
US soldiers in Afghanistan
At least thirty-one US special forces have been killed after a helicopter belonging to the NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) crashed in Afghanistan's eastern province of Wardak.
The deaths were announced in a statement by the office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, AFP reported on Saturday.
The death toll is the biggest in a single incident for foreign forces since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
Seven Afghan forces were also killed in the incident, the statement added.
Provincial spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the chopper crashed on Friday night in the city of Seyed Abad.
The helicopter went down when it was carrying out an anti-Taliban operation by foreign and Afghan forces in which at least eight militants were killed, the Afghan official said.
A spokesman for ISAF said they are investigating the crash but did not provide any further information about the incident.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the militant group was responsible for shooting down the helicopter.
The Afghan official confirmed the militants' claim.
"The US chopper that crashed last night was shot down by the Taliban as it was taking off. A rocket fired by the militants hit it and completely destroyed it," Shahid said.
MA/HRF
38 killed when Taliban shoot down chopper
August 6, 2011 - 11:24PM
AFP
A US senior administration official says the Chinook helicopter that crashed carrying 31 US special operations forces and seven Afghan soldiers was apparently shot down by insurgents.
It was the highest number of American casualties recorded in a single incident in the decade-long war in Afghanistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated.
President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The Taliban claims to have brought the helicopter down with a rocket attack early Saturday, but they have been known to make exaggerated claims in the past.
NATO says there "was enemy activity in the area".
The helicopter was downed late Friday during an anti-Taliban operation in an insurgent-infested district of the eastern province of Wardak, just southwest of the Afghan capital Kabul.
It was shot down by a Taliban rocket which completely destroyed it, the Wardak governor's spokesman said after the Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.
The death toll was given in a statement issued by Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office and was not immediately confirmed by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
"The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai expressed condolences over a NATO helicopter crash and the deaths of 31 members of US special forces," the statement said.
"The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan expresses his sympathy and deep condolences to US President Barack Obama and the family of the victims."
The statement added that seven Afghans were also killed in the crash, who the country's defence ministry confirmed were also members of the special forces.
One man who said he saw Friday's shootdown, Mohammad Saber, said the helicopter plummeted during a late night operation in his village.
"At around 10pm last night (03.30am AEST), we heard helicopters flying over us," he said.
"We were at home. We saw one of the helicopters land on the roof of a house of a Taliban commander, then shooting started.
"The helicopter later took off but soon after taking off it went down and crashed. There were other helicopters flying as well."
Wardak provincial spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the crash happened in Sayd Abad district during an operation against Taliban insurgents who have been waging war on pro-government forces since 2001.
"The US chopper that crashed last night was shot down by the Taliban as it was taking off," he said. "A rocket fired by the insurgents hit it and completely destroyed it."
He added that the helicopter had broken into several parts.
A spokesman for ISAF, the foreign military force in Afghanistan, said they would issue a statement on what had happened "at an appropriate moment."
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was responsible for shooting down the helicopter, which he said was an American Chinook, and acknowledged that eight insurgents had been killed.
Twenty-five of the dead were US Navy SEALs, US television network ABC News reported. The Pentagon declined to comment on the cause or number of deaths.
31 US forces killed in Afghanistan
Sat Aug 6, 2011 9:52AM GMT
PressTV - 31 US forces killed in Afghanistan
US soldiers in Afghanistan
At least thirty-one US special forces have been killed after a helicopter belonging to the NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) crashed in Afghanistan's eastern province of Wardak.
The deaths were announced in a statement by the office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, AFP reported on Saturday.
The death toll is the biggest in a single incident for foreign forces since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
Seven Afghan forces were also killed in the incident, the statement added.
Provincial spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the chopper crashed on Friday night in the city of Seyed Abad.
The helicopter went down when it was carrying out an anti-Taliban operation by foreign and Afghan forces in which at least eight militants were killed, the Afghan official said.
A spokesman for ISAF said they are investigating the crash but did not provide any further information about the incident.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the militant group was responsible for shooting down the helicopter.
The Afghan official confirmed the militants' claim.
"The US chopper that crashed last night was shot down by the Taliban as it was taking off. A rocket fired by the militants hit it and completely destroyed it," Shahid said.
MA/HRF
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