KABUL: A helicopter which crashed killing 30 US troops in Afghanistan was shot down after the Taliban laid a trap to lure US forces into the area, an Afghan government official said Monday.
"Now it's confirmed that the helicopter was shot down and it was a trap that was set by a Taliban commander," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official said the commander lured US forces to the scene by telling them there was a Taliban meeting taking place there.
The official said that President Hamid Karzai's US-backed government "thinks this was a retaliation attack for the killing of Osama Bin Laden."
The Taliban did not make such an assertion when they claimed responsibility for the attack.
Citing intelligence "gathered from the area," the official blamed Qari Tahir, a Taliban commander, for masterminding the attack. He alleged that four Pakistani nationals helped Tahir carry out the strike.
He said the intelligence also showed that the Chinook helicopter was brought down by multiple shots including "modern weapons" without giving further details.
The helicopter was attacked from either side of a valley, the only route to the Taliban-dominated Sayd Abad district in Wardak province where the attack happened late Friday, the official said.
"The Taliban knew which route the helicopter would take," he added.
"That's the only route, so they took position on the either side of the valley on mountains and as the helicopter approached, they attacked it with rockets and other modern weapons. It was brought down by multiple shots," he said.
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@Sajida: You feel sorry for those who are on biblical mission(see cnn.com:seals wife interview,in which she says that he was on bible mission),Feel sorry for mujaheddin,innocent Muslims martyred in Afghanistan,Iraq,Somalia,Sudan,Algiers,Chechnya,Palestine,Indonesia................................
@SilverGuardian: The 9/11 attacks were blamed on OBL and without producing Afghanistan was attacked through carpt bombing and desi cutter bombs each weighting thousands pounds, killing over a million innocents in 10 years. What was the purpose OBL ? NO it was the shariah implemented by the taliban. They implemented only the criminal laws of Shariah and the Economic Law implementation was on cards. It was system (comunisim vs capitalzim) which was the cause of fighting between russia and US and not its the system again the ISLAMIC System VS Interest based Capitalizm. They blood of the millions mirtyres will inshallah bring fruit now and inshallah this world will see the death of this interest based labour killer capitalzim. OBL was killed but not proofe was given to the world, Now the people which were credited for the death of OBL are wipped out, so no proofe will ever remain of the whole story from A to Z (i.e from 9/11/2001 to 6/08/2011). It is time that you people trying to sound sensible wake up. It is not between you and muslims, it has never been between you and muslims. It was and it is between you and Allah (GoD) who has created you and me. Taliban are trying to follow the guidence of Allah but you are trying to protect your interest based system so that you can rule the poor.
Lives are lost in a war. These SEALS are not there for a picnic. I fee sorry for them they risk their lives then get treated shabbily by the VA! Their families have to use food stamps! America is wasting precious funds and lives better spent on more productive purpose on a useless war. 10 years haven't made the Americans realize that. The MIC thinks America has money to burn while the new minority-majority generation is in the cradle. Its poor education means all these foreign interventions will become part of history as they will not be able to fund the hundreds of bases and other accouterments. And by jolly they will default on the mountain of debt the government is saddling them with!
@SilverGuardian:
Col. Sahib,
I salute you for the courage of your views which you express so well and so openly.
I know that Pakistan has suffered mightily in this war against terror that stalks our land. Loosing 35,000 souls is not a small matter. It is a tragedy.
But there is no one in America that GLOATS over these deaths. If I mention it to my American friends, they lower their gaze and are saddened. Apart from my friends, I know of no web-sites that gloat about Pakistani deaths. They could be some crazies out there who argue that chickens are coming home to roost but I would not know. I don't frequent such web-sites.
We, on the other hand, are delighted that 30 American's were killed in a helicopter crash. We are over-joyed. We are ecstatic!
This is sick. I disgusts me and I feel ashamed to be called a Pakistani and a Muslim. This is not the Islam that I was taught or practice.
Once again Col sahib, thank you for standing tall.
@Asad: I don't know. How many? Don't you have newspapers? Are you saying this is the only news you have, and that the other deaths are never published? Where is your Pakistan leadership, that this is being allowed? And why would the US waste their time and bullets on women and children? It is YOUR country that considers them subhumans, not ours!
@Lt Col Imtiaz Alam(retd): While I'm in favor of leaving your people to just off each other, you misuse the name of Allah. America in fact does not consider itself judge, jury and executioner. We consider ourselves the protector of the innocents. And if that means we have to slice out people who are harming innocents, that's just what Allah sets on our path. Bin Ladin attacked innocents across the world in order to feel important and to gain attention. He got the attention slime deserves. We eradicate it. Unfortunate that he spread it so deeply ... we will just have to continue protecting innocents from it.
@Ctheorist: No. Weird theories, you have. Daydream much? First, it doesn't seem odd that team six participated, because this is one of the things they train for (going to the aid of trapped personnel). Second, I don't ever hope to know who the Seals were, who killed Bin Ladin, because having it be known to the public would make them targets, and if the CIA wanted them offed, all they'd have needed to do was to publish their names so the Taliban could "know" their targets. And third ... you should try fleshing out your fiction better. It's childish.
PROUD OF THESE FREEDOM FIGHTERS!! PAK ARMY SHOULD TAKE LESSONS FROM THEM AND DEFEND THEIR LAND!!
Wow,Bring the boys back home,they are really tired,Nobody can win on this terrain,Mexican and other Immigrants cannot fight and cannot win a war which has a cause.
@Tahir Amjad:
"...to the gallows"?
Do you even know what that means?
wow talibans are so smart to lure these innocent us marines and sent them to gallows..... very funny......great us navy seals.hahahahah it is time for us to think about there strategy and leave this area asap.
He alleged that four Pakistani nationals helped Tahir carry out the strike.
That makes Indians on this forum so happy !!! Well, what took so long to blame Pakistan?
@Lt Col (retd): What about the turmoil in Pakistan that has jolted the basis of your country. The casualties and losses your army and people has suffered in the last 10 years. The Americans know better what to do. We don't ask you "Zero Nation"
For every cracker that goes off any where in the world, the recipe isn't appetizing if the main ingredient isn't Pakistan. Please find another 'whipping boy'. This isn't funny any more.
Actually does it not strike you odd, esp the retired general, the it is members of team six that were shot down? The US claims that the men who lost their lives did not take part in the OBL operation, but how is this statement at all to be verified? Is it not possible that the seals that conducted the OBL operation are the ones that have been killed, given that their names were never made public, and the entire operation was carried out by black operatives? Is it not possible that the men who lost their lives in Afghanistan were actually set up the CIA, their own boss? And that now there are actually no witnesses to the entire OBL operation, or none that would dare speak anyway? That the entire OBL drama was actually a farce and the last witnesses have been wiped out?
Why is this making the news? so what 30 or so americans died in a war zone. What else do you expect? How many died in Karachi on the same day? how many died in Libya? Syria?
"The official said that President Hamid Karzai’s US-backed government “thinks this was a retaliation attack for the killing of Osama Bin Laden.”" Rubbish. USA is an invader and Afghans are freedom fighters. It is as simple as that
Funny
Citing intelligence “gathered from the area,” the official blamed Qari Tahir, a Taliban commander, for masterminding the attack. He alleged that four Pakistani nationals helped Tahir carry out the strike.
Every big accident is done by Pakistanis WOW, but more bigger is that Usa is attacking every day drone attacks in Pakistani border areas where only childrens n womens r killed. why media dont say a single word about tht.
Poetic Justice. You cannot be Judge,Jury & Executor. The ends of justice has been served. Allah has spoken. These US seals lost their lives basically due to the misadventures of the US Intelligence. Its time to quit or be prepared for more body bags. You can't win this war. It is History. The American people must bring pressure on their Govt to withdraw from Afghanistan ASP.
Well planned and done the great work :-)
He alleged that four Pakistani nationals helped Tahir carry out the strike.
This may provoke retaliation on Pakistan by US, keeping fingers crossed on which front now the US will open for the same.
Here we go again...