left1 left2 left3 left4 left5 left6 left7 left8 left9 left10 left11 left12 Nine Americans die in Afghanistan crash
The Taliban often exaggerate their claims and sometimes take credit for accidents.
The U.S. Defense Departmentreleased the identities of the troops late Wednesday, saying four were with the Navy special forces — three of them Navy SEALS — and the rest were soldiers.
Fort Campbell spokesman Rick Rzepka said that the five soldiers were assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. Tuesday’s crash was the deadliest since May 2006, when a Chinook helicopter went down while attempting a nighttime landing on a small mountaintop in eastern Kunar province, killing 10 U.S. troops. Aircraft are used extensively in Afghanistan by both NATO and the Afghan government forces to transport and supply troops because the terrain is mountainous and roads are few and primitive.
Lacking shoulder-fired missiles and other anti-aircraft weapons, the Taliban rely mostly on machine guns and rocketpropelled grenades to fire at aircraft during takeoffs and landings.
Most helicopter crashes in the country have been accidents caused by maintenance problems or factors such as dust.
On Wednesday, NATO confirmed the capture of a Taliban commander operating in Marjah, the site of a major coalition offensive in February. The commander, who helped supply local militants, was captured during an Afghan and coalition operation in Helmand province Tuesday.
After questioning residents at the scene, troops detained the commander and two of his associates. Troops found 45 pounds of wet opium — that is, the gum collected from the plant before it is dried — which is often soldto fund the insurgency.
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Sept. 24, 2010