Helicopter Crash Kills Members Of Navy Seal Team That Killed Osama Bin Laden

More than 20 Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden were among those lost in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

The operators from SEAL Team Six were flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

That’s according to one current and one former U.S. official.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity because families are still being notified of the loss of their loved ones.

President Barack Obama expressed his condolences this morning.

He says it’s a reminder of the “extraordinary sacrifices” being made by America’s military and its families.

An American official says the helicopter appears to have been shot down Saturday in eastern Afghanistan in the deadliest single combat incident of the decade-long war.

Obama learned of the deaths while at Camp David.

In a written statement, he says Americans’ thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who perished.

He also mourned the loss of seven Afghan soldiers killed in the crash.

President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.

The Taliban claims to have brought the helicopter down with a rocket attack, but they have been known to make exaggerated claims in the past.

NATO says there “was enemy activity in the area.”

One source says the team was thought to include 22 SEALs, three Air Force air controllers, seven Afghan Army troops, a dog and his handler, and a civilian interpreter, plus the helicopter crew.

The sources thought this was the largest single loss of life ever for SEAL Team Six, known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group.