A deadly day.

[Gob]

A US senior administration official said yesterday a Chinook helicopter that crashed, killing 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.

Twenty-five of the dead were US Navy SEALs, US television network ABC News reported. Afghan President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to US President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.

The Taliban claims to have brought the helicopter down in a rocket attack but it has been known to make exaggerated claims. NATO said there was enemy activity in the area.

The helicopter was brought down during an anti-Taliban operation in an insurgent-infested district of the eastern province of Wardak, just south-west of Kabul.

It was shot down by a Taliban rocket that destroyed it, the Wardak governor’s spokesman said after the Taliban had claimed responsibility.

The death toll was given in a statement issued by Mr Karzai's office and was not immediately confirmed by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

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. The country's defence ministry said the dead Afghans were also members of the special forces.

Mohammad Saber, who said he saw the clash, said the helicopter plummeted during a late night operation in his village.

At around 10pm last night [3.30am yesterday Sydney time], 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 since 2001.

The US chopper that crashed last night was shot down by the Taliban as it was taking off, he said.
He added that the helicopter had broken into several parts.The Taliban acknowledged that eight of its fighters had been killed.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/taliban-roc ... z1UI4mlidn

[oldr_n_wsr]

RIP brave soldiers.

[Guinevere]

38 more reasons to get out of these bloody, useless, expensive "wars."

[rubato]

Afghanistan was necessary. Although Bush fucked it by removing resources for Iraq, which was moronic.

yrs,
rubato

[Scooter]

Necessary or not, you were warned from the beginning that it was an unwinnable war (at least based on the aims announced at the outset) and that is proving to be the case.