Taliban Shoots Down U.S. Helicopter, Kills 31 Troops, Mostly 'Team Six' SEALS

 

http://i.imgur.com/HVhHG.jpg

 

Marking one of the deadliest incidents in the decade-long war, a military helicopter was shot down by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan Saturday night, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops - more than 20 of whom were Navy SEALS from "Team Six" - the unit that carried out the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, officials said.

 

However, it was not immediately clear whether any of the SEALs killed took part in the raid that killed the 9/11 mastermind. Seven Afghan commandos were also killed.

 

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said the aircraft was most likely brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade.

 

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the crash, which occurred in the Wardak province just west of the capital, Kabul.

 

The attack occurred after a night raid, a method that has been praised by American commanders as one of the most effective in the recent military offensive, despite the raids being heavily criticized by Afghan officials and civilians.

 

NATO confirmed the overnight crash took place and that there "was enemy activity in the area." NATO said it was still investigating the cause, however, and conducting a recovery operation at the site.

"We are in the process of accessing the facts," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin Brockhoff, a NATO spokesman.

 

U.S. President Barack Obama offered his condolences and prayers to the families of the Americans and Afghans who died in the attack, saying their deaths were a "reminder of the extraordinary sacrifice made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan[/url]," Obama said.

 

"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 said.

 

"We also mourn the Afghans who died alongside our troops in pursuit of a more peaceful and hopeful future for their country."

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan also offered his condolences to the victims' families.

 

Karzai's office said in a statement, "The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has expressed his condolences to the U.S. President Barack Obama and to the families of the victims."

 

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also issued a statement, saying he was "deeply saddened by the loss of many outstanding Americans in uniform and of their Afghan counterparts." Their courage, he said, was exemplary.

 

Saturday's crash comes as an increase of violence has swept across large portions of Afghanistan, particularly in the east, which has become a flash-point in the conflict as U.S. troops prepare for a phased withdrawal from the country, The Washington Post reported.

 

Local Afghan officials were quick to point out Saturday that insurgent activity in the volatile Tangi Valley, where the latest helicopter crash occurred, has risen in recent months, since some NATO troops withdrew from a remote base in the area.

 

"The Americans left because they were getting casualties with each operation ... and since then, the insurgents have increased their activity," said Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the Wardak governor.

In June, Obama announced that all foreign combat forces would leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014; some withdrawals have already begun.

 

The death toll would surpass the worst single day of lost lives for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. On June 28, 2005, a military helicopter crash in eastern Kunar province killed 16 Navy SEALs, and Army special operations troops were killed when their craft was shot down while on a rescue mission for the four SEALs under attack by the Taliban. Three of the four SEALs were killed and one injured. It was the highest one-day death toll for the Navy Special Warfare personnel since World War II, The Associated Press reported.

 

The Saturday crash brings the total number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2011 to 374, according to the icasualties.org Web site. Two-thirds of them have been American, including 28 Special Forces soldiers.

 

Prayers go out to the families of all the dead and wounded...

 

These guys gave their all time and time again, and took out the most wanted man in history, we owe them alot. Rest in Peace lads.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-07/us-reacts-to-afghan-chopper-crash/2827780

 

US government sources have refused to comment on whether the dead were Navy SEALs, saying only they were "not part" of the team that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in this year's May raid in Pakistan.

 

Several US media outlets have said the victims were members of "Team Six," the elite SEALs unit behind the Bin Laden raid.

 

Seems iffy to me.

 

Usually when some event like this happens over there, well actually I can't recall this amount of troops dying from a single event nor anything similar, I'm able to convince myself that 'it was worth it' in some form or another, but right now, this just seems unreal. 30+ dead. 30+.

 

I am in disbelief that 'now' the insurgents have shot down a chopper, at night, with an RPG which they have not done many times before in the day alone, either a flukey shot or something else. Mainly cause the reports are so sketchy, there are some saying it seemed to just "'fall from the sky and then explode upon impact with the ground", some say it was "shot as it took off", that it "Was under heavy fire from many directions in what seemed a well planned ambush", the list goes on. Until there is some form of official report, hell, even if there is, you can never be sure. I don't even believe 100% at this point the 'Taliban' did it, they have claimed responsibility for so many things which they had nothing to do with in the past, why change now? For them its a way to keep up their 'image' in the face of a losing battle. It's their way of damaging us.

 

The loss here is a tragedy, a loss of life in war unrivaled in my memory of life. I hate to think of the effect this will have on the 'hearts and minds' of the west, considering most of them are already in the dumps after Friday... may those aboard RIP.

Wow, thats a lot of experience to loose in a single incident. Reminds me of the SASR Blackhawk incident in NSW before the Olympics.

 

Staggering thought . . .

RIP, this is very sad news for everyone involved.

RIP....Blimey, this is something you would expect at the start of the war.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-07/us-reacts-to-afghan-chopper-crash/2827780

 

 

 

Seems iffy to me.

 

Usually when some event like this happens over there, well actually I can't recall this amount of troops dying from a single event nor anything similar, I'm able to convince myself that 'it was worth it' in some form or another, but right now, this just seems unreal. 30+ dead. 30+.

 

I am in disbelief that 'now' the insurgents have shot down a chopper, at night, with an RPG which they have not done many times before in the day alone, either a flukey shot or something else. Mainly cause the reports are so sketchy, there are some saying it seemed to just "'fall from the sky and then explode upon impact with the ground", some say it was "shot as it took off", that it "Was under heavy fire from many directions in what seemed a well planned ambush", the list goes on. Until there is some form of official report, hell, even if there is, you can never be sure. I don't even believe 100% at this point the 'Taliban' did it, they have claimed responsibility for so many things which they had nothing to do with in the past, why change now? For them its a way to keep up their 'image' in the face of a losing battle. It's their way of damaging us.

 

The loss here is a tragedy, a loss of life in war unrivaled in my memory of life. I hate to think of the effect this will have on the 'hearts and minds' of the west, considering most of them are already in the dumps after Friday... may those aboard RIP.

 

 

mate this isnt the first time a chopper has been lost to ground fire, it happens alot, just the news dosnt report on it, and not to the aussie forces (not alot anyway, only lost one and was due to tech difficulties... choppers go down all the time.

 

But it does seem like a bad case of in the wrong place at the wrong time. also if the US release that it was shot down then it was shot down, they wouldnt give the taliban that victory if they even had a slight thought it was soemthing else..

 

anyway enough debate, RIP.

mate this isnt the first time a chopper has been lost to ground fire, it happens alot, just the news dosnt report on it, and not to the aussie forces

 

This being a main reason why this is such a surprise to me.

 

also if the US release that it was shot down then it was shot down, they wouldnt give the taliban that victory if they even had a slight thought it was something else..

 

I'm not questioning any release from the US Government, I'm questioning the releases from other media sources, from what I've read, I understand less than I did when I started because (and it may only be the slightest thing) little things are changed in each article. Might be better off watching the Press Release statement rather than the 'recaps' from news stations...

 

EDIT:

 

The loss of about two dozen elite commandos in a helicopter believed to be downed by the Taliban has dealt a major blow to US special forces, a key element in the strategy to wind down the war in Afghanistan.

 

The US military is trying to confirm whether insurgents shot down the Chinook transport helicopter which crashed with the loss of 38 people, most of them Americans.

 

The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility, saying its fighters had shot down the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade during a firefight south-west of the capital, Kabul.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-08/chopper-crash-a-major-blow-to-us-commandos/2828586?section=world

 

Rest my case. They never confirmed it...

Edited August 8, 201115 yr by crawfs