A NUMBER OF the American soldiers killed when their Chinook helicopter crashed in Afghanistan were from the elite unit whose members killed Osama bin Laden.

Several reports said the helicopter, which crashed yesterday killing 38 people, was shot down by Taliban insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades. Thirty Americans died in the attack.

The New York Times reports that US officials have confirmed that 22 elite Navy Seals were among the dead, including members of the storied Seal Team 6. Seal Team 6 were the unit who mounted the final assault on the al-Qaeda leader’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May, leaving bin Laden dead. However, it’s believed that the soldiers killed yesterday were not involved in the bin Laden raid.

Seal Team 6 has previously been reported to be “so secretive that the White House and the Defense Department do not directly acknowledge its existence”.

The helicopter crash is the single biggest loss of life among coalition troops in Afghanistan to date. Afghan commandos, US Air Force personnel, a dog handler, the aircraft’s crew and an interpreter were also killed, according to the BBC. Local residents have said they saw the Chinook catch fire after being hit by a rocket.

Further fighting has been reported today in the area where the helicopter was shot down. An Afghan official told the AP that there were reports of Taliban casualties after NATO launched an operation to recover the wreckage of the Chinook.

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