Tuesday, August 09, 2011 – The US President Barack Obama on Monday said that the United States will continue its mission in Afghanistan.
President Barack Obama’s comments are followed after the death of at least 31 US troops, most of them elite Navy Seals, in a helicopter crash which was shot down by the Taliban militants in Maidan Wardak province on Friday night.
US president Barack Obama said, he is confident US troops “will continue the hard work of transitioning to a stronger Afghan government and ensuring that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists.”
He also said, he had spoken to generals deployed in Afghanistan and Afghan President Hamid Karzai and vowed that the mission will “succeed.”
At least seven Afghan commandos and Afghan interpreter was also killed after Taliban militants shot down a US CH-47 Chinook helicopter on 6 August.
According to reports, many of the US soldiers dead were from Seal Team, the unit that carried out the raid in May in Pakistan to kill al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
The incident took place in Tangi Valley of Wardak Province and was marked the deadliest single incident for US forces in Afghanistan.
The Afghan President has sent his condolences to the US President.
In a statement issued by president Hamid Karzai’s office said, “Afghan President, Hamid Karzai expresses condolences over the deaths of 31 members of US special forces in a Nato helicopter crash.”
The incident happened as foreign forces have started security transition to Afghan forces and it will be completed by the end of 2014 as planned.
During the first phase of security transition, Afghan forces have taken security responsibilities of seven areas.
Meanwhile, NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces officials on Monday said, new regions would be nominated for the second phase of security hand over, in coming September or October this year.
