US Special Forces Helicopter Downed in Afghanistan
A US special forces helicopter has been downed in Afghanistan with up to 30 US troopers and around 8 Afghans on board.
It is thought that the US special forces were from the same unit which stormed Osama Bin Laden’s complex and killed him. It is unlikely that they were exactly the same personnel however.
The Afghan’s on board were likely to be interpreters and commandos.
The loss of the the Chinook helicopter, just west of Kabul, is the biggest single loss of life for the US in the Afghanistan campaign.
It’s not known if the Taliban claims of shooting down the Chinook are true or not, they often claim shootdowns that later turn out to have been caused by mechanical failure or something else.
However this time it looks more likely. The Taliban say that they shot down the helicopter with a rocket after troops attacked a house in Wardak where a meeting was taking place.
Troop carrying helicopters in hostile territory are a soft target with minimal protection from ground to air missiles. They fact that they carry large amounts of personnel and equipment also makes them a prime target.
The troops were obviously out on a mission but as with every special forces operation, official details are hard to come by. It is not known for instance, just how many personnel are in the special forces team, thought to be Navy Seal Team Six.
A NATO operation has been mounted to recover the helicopter and determine the cause of the crash.
President Obama made a statement paying tribute to the Americans who died in the crash. He said the incident was,
“A reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan. We will draw inspiration from their lives and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied.”
He also mentioned the Afghans who also lost their lives,
“We also mourn the Afghans who died alongside our troops in pursuit of a more peaceful and hopeful future for their country.”
It comes over the weekend when President Obama is having to deal with the US dropping down the S&P credit score scale and it’s subsequent political and economical fallout.
Photo: David Forster
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