Crash: US army fears the worst
2005-06-30 07:47
Kabul - United States military officials say they fear all 17 troops aboard a special operations helicopter are dead after hostile fire downed the craft in a rugged mountain ravine in eastern Afghanistan.
If those aboard were confirmed killed, the crash would be the deadliest blow yet to American forces in Afghanistan, already grappling with an insurgency that is widening rather than winding down.
The officials said they knew of no communications from the crash site, accessible only by foot.
Stormy weather hampered rescue efforts after the MH-47 helicopter crashed on Tuesday while ferrying in reinforcements for troops already on the ground pursuing al-Qaeda militants near the border with Pakistan.
Can't confirm the deaths
The officials cited reports from the region that the helicopter either crashed or made a perilous landing on the side of a mountain then went down into the ravine, suggesting little hope of survival. They said, however, they could not confirm the deaths, and spoke on condition of anonymity since rescue operations were still underway.
Only eight months ago, Afghan and US officials were hailing a relatively peaceful presidential election here as a sign that the Taliban rebellion was finished. That bravado has been yet another casualty in a war some feel could escalate into a conflict on the scale of Iraq's.
The loss of the helicopter follows three months of unprecedented fighting that has killed about 465 suspected insurgents, 43 Afghan police and soldiers, 125 civilians, and 29 US troops. Afghan and American officials have predicted the situation will deteriorate before legislative elections are held in September.
The Taliban have stepped up attacks, and there are disturbing signs that foreign fighters - including al-Qaeda - might be making a new push to sow mayhem. Afghan officials say the fighters have used the porous border with Pakistan to enter the country, and have called on the Pakistani government do more to stop them.
Even before the crash was announced, a Taliban spokesperson claimed responsibility and said he had footage of the attack. As of Wednesday, no video had surfaced.
US military spokesperson Colonel James Yonts said the helicopter was fired on as it was approaching a landing zone while rushing reinforcements to a battle in an area known to harbour "terrorist organisations." It flew on, but crashed about a mile away at dusk, he said.
Coalition and Afghan troops moved into position to protect the crash site, a US military statement said. Yonts said fighting continued on Wednesday.
The crash was the second of a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan this year. On April 6, 15 US service members and three American civilians were killed when their chopper went down in a sandstorm while returning to the main US base at Bagram.
- AP