A helicopter transporting 30 American servicemen, including Navy Seals, was shot down by insurgents over Afghanistan on Saturday, marking the single deadliest day for American forces in the war in Afghanistan.
American and Afghan officials confirmed that 30 Americans and 8 Afghans were killed in the attack, according to the New York Times.
The 22 Navy Seals on board were part of Seal Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden.
The Taliban took responsibility for the attack on those that killed their leader. However, it is reported that none of the Seals killed in the attack were involved in Bin Laden’s death.
The Chinook Helicopter was on a night-raid mission and was most likely struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, the New York Times reports. The attack occurred around 1 a.m. on Saturday after an attack on a Taliban compound lasting about two hours, Gen. Abdul Qayum Baqizoy, police chief of Wardak, said to the Times.
“All of those killed in this operation were true heroes who had already given so much in the defense of freedom. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten,” said Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of the international military mission in Afghanistan.
President Obama expressed his concern and offered condolences to the families of those killed.
Leave a Reply