Context
NATO forces in Afghanistan were investigating the crash on Friday night of a Chinook transport helicopter in the central Maidan Wardak province. The attack killed 30 US service members, including 22 Navy SEAL commandos, in the deadliest incident involving foreign soldiers in the 10-year war. 8 Afghan soldiers also died in the crash.
The commandos impacted by the crash belonged to the same unit, Team 6, which had participated in the operation to eliminate Osama Bin Laden in May. However, the SEALs killed in the crash had not taken part in the Osama operation.
The Taliban immediately claimed they gunned down the helicopter using a rocket-propelled grenade. An official in Washington confirmed the helicopter appeared to have been gunned down.
