Afghan crashes kill 14 Americans

[qsaark]

At least 14 Americans have been killed in a series of air crashes in Afghanistan, military officials say.

In the first incident, four US soldiers died and two were hurt when two helicopters collided mid-air in the south, Nato-led forces said.

In a separate incident seven soldiers and three civilians were killed in a helicopter crash in the west.

Hostile fire was ruled out as a cause of the collision but no cause has yet been identified for the crash.

Twelve Americans and 14 Afghans were injured in that incident.

This year has seen the highest death toll of international troops in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001.

There have been dozens of American soldiers among those killed.

Source: BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghan crashes kill 14 Americans

14 Americans dead in copter collisions in Afghanistan
October 26, 2009 5:27 a.m. EDT

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Fourteen Americans died in a pair of helicopter crashes in Afghanistan on Monday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

In the deadlier crash, a helicopter went down in the country's west.

"Seven U.S. service members and three U.S. civilians were killed," an ISAF statement said. "Those injured include 14 Afghan service members, 11 U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian."

Enemy action was not suspected in the crash, the military said.

Four other U.S. service members were killed when two helicopters apparently crashed mid-air in southern Afghanistan. Two other NATO-led service members were injured.

"The incident is currently being investigated, but it is confirmed that hostile fire was not involved," ISAF said in an earlier news release.

Separately, ISAF said a joint international security force killed more than a dozen enemy fighters while searching a compound. The site was thought to harbor insurgents tied to narcotics trafficking in western Afghanistan.

The militants were killed in a firefight when insurgents confronted the joint force. As the force was leaving, a helicopter "went down due to unconfirmed reasons," ISAF said.

A recovery operation was launched.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/10/26/afghanistan.chopper.crashes/index.html

 

[sherdil76]

few more.... and yankies get out of this region...

 

[pakdefender]

Now according to Bill Roggio of the Longwar Journal the insurgents have access to SAMs which they have used against Pakistan in Waziristan and he has been saying that they have 'shot down' Pak helis with those

Can we conclude that this crash was caused by same SAMs that are in the inventory of the Taliban , after all Bill Roggio reported the use of these SAMs against Pakistan so surely these must be in use against the US in Afghanistan as well , what Bill Roggio got to say about this possibility ?

 

[mjnaushad]

2 days back a Pakistani Heli destroyed and now an American. Smells fishy. Is someone supplying them Shoulder launched SAMs???

 

[WarProfessor]

Didn't US say a couple of days ago about "willingness" to send more troops to Afghanistan? So the bargain continues on Iranian stance on her nuclear program?

 

[fatman17]

ASIA PACIFIC
Date Posted: 26-Oct-2009

Jane's Defence Weekly

Three ISAF helicopters crash in Afghanistan

Gareth Jennings Jane's Aviation Desk Editor - London

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has lost three helicopters in two separate crashes, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 military and civilian personnel, it announced on 26 October.

The helicopters came down during operations in the west and south of the country.

According to ISAF in the first incident seven US military personnel and three US civilians were killed when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in western Afghanistan due to "unconfirmed reasons". As well as the 10 dead, 14 Afghan service members, 11 US service members and one US civilian were injured.

The type of helicopter involved has not been divulged, neither has its nationality nor its mission. However, with at least 36 personnel on board it would seem highly likely that it was either a Boeing CH-47 Chinook or a US Marine Corps (USMC) Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight or Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion medium/heavy-lift helicopter.

The Chinook is operated in Afghanistan by a number of ISAF nations such as Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. That most of the casualties were US would suggest that, if it were a Chinook that was lost, it was probably operated by the US Army. The CH-46 is operated exclusively by the USMC in Afghanistan and while the German Army does employ the CH-53D Sea Stallion, Germany does not operate in this part of Afghanistan and the lack of German casualties would suggest that this was not a German helicopter.

The only other helicopters in country that can carry such a large number of troops are the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 'Hip' and Mi-26 'Halo'. The 'Halo' is not used as a troop transporter in Afghanistan and so can be ruled out. While the 'Hip' is used by the Afghan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC), it can normally only accommodate about 25 personnel and is primarily employed as a logistical rather than a troop transport, which would seem to rule out the 'Hip' as the aircraft lost on this occasion.

In the second incident, four US personnel were killed and two injured when two ISAF helicopters are believed to have collided during operations in southern Afghanistan.

While ISAF has confirmed that the casualties were US personnel, there has been no word as to the type of helicopters involved or their mission.

The incident is currently being investigated but it has been confirmed that hostile fire was not involved.

---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 PM ----------

Now according to Bill Roggio of the Longwar Journal the insurgents have access to SAMs which they have used against Pakistan in Waziristan and he has been saying that they have 'shot down' Pak helis with those

Can we conclude that this crash was caused by same SAMs that are in the inventory of the Taliban , after all Bill Roggio reported the use of these SAMs against Pakistan so surely these must be in use against the US in Afghanistan as well , what Bill Roggio got to say about this possibility ?

there is no proof!!!

---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 PM ----------

2 days back a Pakistani Heli destroyed and now an American. Smells fishy. Is someone supplying them Shoulder launched SAMs???

SAM was not used!!!

 

[fatman17]

^ very sad news as these brave men died in the line of fire - my condolences to their dear and near ones - ten-hut!

 

[fatman17]

DEA agents among 14 killed

By Robert H. Reid and Heidi Vogt

Associated Press

Published: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

KABUL — A U.S. military helicopter crashed Monday while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers in western Afghanistan, killing 10 Americans including three DEA agents in a not-so-noticed war within a war.

Four more troops were killed when two helicopters collided over southern Afghanistan, making it the deadliest day for U.S. forces in this country in more than four years.

U.S. military officials insisted neither crash was believed a result of hostile fire, although the Taliban claimed they shot down a U.S. helicopter in the western province of Badghis. The U.S. did not say where in western Afghanistan its helicopter went down, and no other aircraft were reported missing.

The second crash took place when two U.S. Marine helicopters — a UH-1 and an AH-1 Cobra — collided in flight before sunrise over the southern province of Helmand, killing four American troops and wounding two more, Marine spokesman Maj. Bill Pelletier said.

The casualties marked the Drug Enforcement Administration's first deaths since it began operations here in 2005. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium — the raw ingredient in heroin — and the illicit drug trade is a major source of funding for insurgent groups.

The U.S. has decided to target production and distribution networks after programs to destroy poppy fields did little except turn farmers against the American-led NATO mission.

In the past year, the DEA has launched an ambitious plan to increase its personnel in Afghanistan from about a dozen to nearly 80, greatly expanding its role.

NATO said the helicopter containing the DEA agents was returning from a joint operation that targeted a compound used by insurgents involved in "narcotics trafficking in western Afghanistan."

"During the operation, insurgent forces engaged the joint force and more than a dozen enemy fighters were killed in the ensuing firefight," a NATO statement said.

Eleven Americans, including another DEA agent, and 14 Afghan security troops were wounded in the crash, NATO said.

Military spokeswoman Elizabeth Mathias said hostile fire was unlikely because the troops were not receiving fire when the helicopter took off. She said troops had been rushed to the crash site to determine the cause.

The crash came less than a week after a U.N. report found that the drug trade is enabling the Taliban to make more money now than when they ruled Afghanistan before the U.S. invasion in 2001. The DEA sent more agents to Afghanistan this year to take part in military operations against insurgents who use drug smuggling to raise funds for their war against NATO and its Afghan allies.

It was the heaviest single-day loss of life since June 28, 2005, when 19 U.S. troops died, 16 of them aboard a Special Forces MH-47 Chinook helicopter that was shot down by insurgents.

U.S. forces also reported the deaths of two other American service members Sunday: one in a bomb attack in the east, and another who died of wounds sustained in an insurgent attack in the same region. The deaths bring to at least 47 the number of U.S. service members who have been killed in October.

This has been the deadliest year for international and U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban. Fighting spiked around the presidential vote in August, when 51 U.S. soldiers died that month — the deadliest for American forces in the eight-year war.

President Barack Obama mourned 14 Americans killed Monday and told a military audience he will not be hurried as he evaluates whether to alter U.S. strategy in the war.

"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary," Obama said during a visit to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida.

Obama is debating whether to send tens of thousands more troops to the country to curb the burgeoning Taliban-led insurgency.

 

[FireFighter]

^ very sad news as these brave men died in the line of fire - my condolences to their dear and near ones - ten-hut!

Sir, you have a very big heart that you even pray for the enemies of your neighbours


and whats a DEA agent??

 

[qsaark]

Sir, you have a very big heart that you even pray for the enemies of your neighbours

I guess from the next time, we should also condole on the deaths of Zionist forces in occupied Palestine, and of Indian forces in Kashmir valley. Why restrict our open heartedness to Americans occupation forces only?

and whats a DEA agent??

Perhaps Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

 

[Patriot]

Good Kill.