Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Afghanistan - Chinook 'shot down', 17 'dead'

An American Chinook helicopter has crash in Afghanistan, killing 17. As yet unconfirmed reports suggest it was shot down by Taliban fighters. Wednesday's New York Times quoted unnamed U.S. military officials as saying troops aboard included Navy Seal commandos and that the Chinook was an MH-47 modified for special operations. Before the United States announced the incident, Mullah Latif Hakimi, claiming to be a Taliban spokesman, called The Associated Press and said that the Taliban had shot down the Chinook and they had filmed the attack. The video would be released to the media, he added. It is the second Chinook to have been lost this year in Afghan operations. On the 6th of April a Chinook, returning to Bagram airbase, went down in a sand storm killing 18.
[14:48 GMT 29/06/2005]

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