KABUL — U.S. forces in Afghanistan suffered the deadliest day of the decade-long warSaturday when insurgents shot down an American helicopter, killing 30 U.S. servicemen and eight Afghans in the latest of a series of setbacks for coalition forces whose numbers are set to decline over the coming months.
As U.S. troops have pushed the Taliban from havens in the south, the insurgents have retaliated in recent weeks with high-profile attacks and assassinations of Afghan officials. The incidents have challenged U.S. assertions that the military is making steady progress in preparation for turning control of the country over to its Afghan partners. Insurgents have also stepped up attacks in the mountainous east, the site of Saturday’s incident.
The dead in Saturday’s attack included 22 Navy SEALs, most of them members of SEAL Team 6, the counterterrorism unit that carried out the mission to find Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said. They added that none of the commandos who died Saturday were involved in the cross-border mission that killed the al-Qaeda leader.
President Obama issued a statement from Camp David sending his condolences to their families. “Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan,” the president 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.”
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Many of you know about my connections with our country's armed forces so as you could imagine these types of stories hit pretty close to home for me. I just continue to keep my family and the rest of our troops uplifted in prayer. The threat of death or serious injury is serious. I send my condolences to the families of all those affected by this incident. Sad news indeed.
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