Two U.S. troops found dead in Afghanistan, one missing
05 Jul 2005 15:46:50 GMTSource: Reuters
Recasts with U.S. confirmation of deaths)
By David Brunnstrom
KABUL, July 5 (Reuters) - Two U.S. special forces soldiers who went missing in eastern Afghanistan a week ago have been found dead and one rescued, but the whereabouts of a fourth remains unknown, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.
The bodies of the soldiers, part of a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team that went missing during fighting with militants in Kunar province, were found during a combat operation there on Monday, a military statement said.
The soldiers went missing last Tuesday just before a U.S. helicopter sent to rescue them was shot down by militants, killing all 16 U.S. Special Forces soldiers aboard.
"The two service members were taken to the U.S. military hospital at Bagram Airfield where they were pronounced dead," it said referring to the main U.S. base to the north of Kabul.
"Another member of the force was located and airlifted to the Bagram hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," it said referring to a rescue first confirmed on Monday.
"The whereabouts of one service member remains unknown," it added.
The statement did not say how the soldiers, identified by U.S. officials as Navy SEAL commandos trained to operate behind enemy lines, had died.
U.S. spokeswoman Lieutenant Cindy Moore said a major anti-militant operation codenamed "Redwing" was continuing in Kunar, one of the aims of which was to find the missing commando.
She said she had no information to indicate he may have been captured -- contrary to Taliban claims.
Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said last week that video of a captured soldier would be provided to news organisations and photographs posted on the Taliban Web site -- www.alemarah.com -- but neither appears to have happened.
Hakimi also said seven U.S. "spies" had been killed by the guerrillas before insurgents shot down a helicopter sent to rescue them, killing all 16 U.S. Special Forces soldiers aboard.
HEAVIEST CASUALTIES >>>continued
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL239671.htm
Recasts with U.S. confirmation of deaths)
By David Brunnstrom
KABUL, July 5 (Reuters) - Two U.S. special forces soldiers who went missing in eastern Afghanistan a week ago have been found dead and one rescued, but the whereabouts of a fourth remains unknown, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.
The bodies of the soldiers, part of a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team that went missing during fighting with militants in Kunar province, were found during a combat operation there on Monday, a military statement said.
The soldiers went missing last Tuesday just before a U.S. helicopter sent to rescue them was shot down by militants, killing all 16 U.S. Special Forces soldiers aboard.
"The two service members were taken to the U.S. military hospital at Bagram Airfield where they were pronounced dead," it said referring to the main U.S. base to the north of Kabul.
"Another member of the force was located and airlifted to the Bagram hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," it said referring to a rescue first confirmed on Monday.
"The whereabouts of one service member remains unknown," it added.
The statement did not say how the soldiers, identified by U.S. officials as Navy SEAL commandos trained to operate behind enemy lines, had died.
U.S. spokeswoman Lieutenant Cindy Moore said a major anti-militant operation codenamed "Redwing" was continuing in Kunar, one of the aims of which was to find the missing commando.
She said she had no information to indicate he may have been captured -- contrary to Taliban claims.
Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said last week that video of a captured soldier would be provided to news organisations and photographs posted on the Taliban Web site -- www.alemarah.com -- but neither appears to have happened.
Hakimi also said seven U.S. "spies" had been killed by the guerrillas before insurgents shot down a helicopter sent to rescue them, killing all 16 U.S. Special Forces soldiers aboard.
HEAVIEST CASUALTIES >>>continued
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL239671.htm
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 5:59 PM
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