[CTRL] Taliban kill 35 US troops

[William Shannon]

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2001-daily/24-11-2001/main/main7.htm Taliban kill 35 US troops By Ajmad Bashir Siddiqi Saturday November 24, 2001-- Ramadan 08,1422 A.H KARACHI: At least 35 personnel of the US Special Forces were killed and many injured in an attack by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, sources told The News on Friday. The sources said 35 bodies have arrived at Jacobabad Airbase, where heavy activity is being witnessed as the US helicopters are busy bringing in bodies and injured from Afghanistan. The Pentagon and the Centcom are very much perturbed over this development and there are reports of immediate measures being contemplated to counter the situation. The sources said 10 C-130s are ready to dispatch the bodies to the US. According to sources, the action, which began on Thursday was also backed by helicopter gunships. The US had launched attack against Taliban and al-Qaeda members but were caught by surprise and had to withdraw quickly. The US Embassy and Army sources were tight-lipped about the incident. It is one of the heaviest casualties, suffered by the US Army in one action since they launched attacks against the Taliban. The reported killing of 35 US troops appears to be action similar to the previous aborted US heli-borne action carried out in mid-October in which the attacking US troops got pinned down in the face of severe hostile enemy fire. The US troops were caught by surprise. So intense was the attack that the Special Forces personnel had to quickly withdraw without any operational achievement. In that attack one US helicopter crashed in Afghanistan while another 'hit' chopper later crashed along with troops and crew in Pakistan.