An American Helicopter Crashes in Pakistan As US Troops Reportedly Clash with Taleban

02/05/2001| IslamWeb

KABUL, (Islamweb & News Agencies)-
US special forces have clashed with Taleban fighters on the ground in Afghanistan for the first time since air strikes began on 7 October.US officials said the operation, involving more than 100 elite troops backed by AC-130 flying gunships, lasted several hours. (Read photo caption below)
Later the Pentagon said a US military helicopter had crashed in an accident in neighbouring Pakistan, killing two people. It was not clear whether the helicopter was involved in the operation.

"A group of special forces, including Army Rangers, went into Afghanistan today - overnight Afghanistan time - to conduct operations," a US official told Reuters news agency.US media reported the commandos, backed by helicopters, attacked an airfield near the Taleban stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
US officials said the troops have now left the Afghanistan and returned to their base.
There has been no word on casualties.
President Bush, who is in Shanghai for a summit of Pacific nations, was briefed about the operation in a secure video conference.
The Pentagon was expected to hold a briefing on the operation Saturday.
With pressure on the Taliban mounting, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, told reporters while on the way to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, that Washington had ``from time to time'' provided anti-Taliban groups in Afghanistan with assistance, including ammunition.
PHOTO CAPTION:
In this handout picture from the U.S. Navy made available Friday, Oct. 19, 2001, U.S. Navy Seals train with a SH-60F Seahawk helicopter assigned to the Tridents of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Three on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 at an undisclosed location at sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Lance H. Mayhew Jr.)
- Oct 19 6:58 PM ET