US special forces 'killed' and helicopter 'shot down' in Afghanistan
It is unclear whether the military aircraft was brought down by enemy fire
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At least one US special forces soldier has reportedly been killed and others were wounded in Afghanistan - before the medical helicopter sent to rescue them came under fire.
NBC initially reported that the helicopter flying to pick up the wounded American soldiers had gone down after being hit. However, it subsequently emerged that although it was damaged, the military aircraft was able to take off.
CNN said the soldiers had been involved in a joint counter-terrorism operation in Helmand province with Afghan forces when they came under attack. An unknown number of people were also injured.
Officials said the US medevac chopper called in to recover casualties came under mortar and small-arms fire and was hit.
A spokesman for the Nato coalition in Afghanistan earlier told NBC News that a US helicopter had landed in Helmand province and was "experiencing mechanical problems."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments