True heroes' mourned after Taliban fighters down chopper, killing 30 US troops
Insurgents shot down a helicopter in Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite Navy SEALs unit that killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said. It was the deadliest single loss for American forces in the decade-old war.
The downing Saturday was a stinging blow to the lauded, tight-knit SEAL Team 6, months after its crowning achievement. It was also a heavy setback for the U.S.-led coalition as it begins to draw down thousands of combat troops fighting what has become an increasingly costly and unpopular war. Seven Afghan commandos also died during the incident.
The Associated Press quoted an Afghan official as saying there was renewed fighting in the area Sunday. NATO confirmed it has begun an operation to recover the remains of the helicopter.
None of the 22 SEAL personnel killed in the crash were part of the team that killed bin Laden in a May raid in Pakistan, but they belonged to the same unit. Their deployment in the raid in which the helicopter crashed would suggest that the target was a high-ranking insurgent figure.
Source:msn.com