United States commando killed, two wounded in secret operation against Taliban

A USA military “quick reaction force” of reinforcements arrived late Tuesday and evacuated the US special operations soldier killed in action, and the two wounded Americans in the compound, according to a US defense official.

“The U.S. casualties come as the restive province has seen an uptick in fighting in recent weeks as Taliban forces have attempted to regain control of key towns such as Sangin, Marja and the provincial capital of Lashkar Gar.”

Cook said the USA and Afghan governments agree that the best way to ensure lasting peace and security in Afghanistan is through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

A U.S. defence official said it was still on the ground and the military was working to recover it, but gave no further details.

Earlier in the day, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook confirmed to reporters that the fighting in Marjah remains ongoing.

Cook said two USA helicopters were dispatched to the scene to provide medical evacuation for the US casualties but could not complete the mission. The other chopper had a “hard landing” and was disabled when its rotors hit a wall. The effort to regain ground from a resurgent Taliban has taken place amid deteriorating security in large parts of Afghanistan. It was the deadliest attack of 2015 for the approximately 9,800 American troops still in the country.

Gen. John Campbell, the USA commander in Afghanistan, has said the Pentagon may have to re-evaluate whether any additional US troops would be withdrawn by year’s end.

An unspecified number of Afghan troops were also wounded in the mission, officials said.

In October, a US F-16 was struck by enemy fire in eastern Afghanistan, in a rare case of an advanced jet fighter coming under a Taliban-claimed attack.