US releases names of troops killed in chopper crash

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WASHINGTON: The Pentagon on Thursday released the names of the 30 US troops killed in an attack on a US helicopter in Afghanistan last week, despite earlier objections from the special operations commander.

The secretive US Special Operations Command had argued against identifying most of those aboard the chopper on grounds that the details could potentially put fellow troops and their families at risk, officials said.

But Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in the end rejected the request and approved divulging the names, in keeping with Pentagon practise. Under US law, the names of the SEALs are not classified, unlike those of Central Intelligence Agency officers.

The Defense Department's statement clarified reports about how many Navy SEAL commandos were killed in the crash, saying 17 SEALs had died while five other Navy sailors assigned to the SEAL unit were killed.

Officials had said previously that the dead included 22 of the Navy's elite Sea, Air and Land teams.

The dead included three Air Force special operations forces and the five-man Army crew of the Chinook helicopter.

A total of 38 people died when the CH-47 was shot down in the eastern province of Wardak, including seven Afghan troops and an interpreter.

The attack represented the most deadly incident for US and NATO forces since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001.

The Pentagon's press release did not confirm if any of the SEALs were part of the unit credited with the night raid that killed Osama bin Laden, known as "Team Six" or the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

The release only said 15 of the 17 sailors were assigned to an "East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit." Team Six is based in Virginia.

The highly-trained SEALs who died ranged in age from 24 to 44 years old.