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One US Special Forces Operator Killed, Two Wounded In Afghanistan

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Jonah Bennett Contributor
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American special operations forces were killed and wounded in a Tuesday counter-terrorism operation in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

One U.S. soldier was killed and two others were wounded, according to The Washington Post. As soon as the forces began their operation in the Marjah area of the province, they came under heavy attack by the Taliban, which prompted a medevac helicopter to rush to the scene, NBC News reports.

That medevac helicopter then sustained small-arms fire and a mortar attack.

A Taliban spokesman said that its forces had taken out a U.S. transport helicopter Tuesday, though the Taliban is widely known for overstating its successes. That claim still remains to be verified.

It is also unknown if the helicopter was hit, and whether any one died in the landing zone.

Back in early December, The Wall Street Journal reported that both the U.S. and Britain had deployed four teams to Helmand, an area known as a Taliban stronghold. Helmand also supplies the Taliban with a large amount of opium, which the group uses to fund its operations.

Afghan forces have melted upon contact with Helmand. A total of 2,000 Afghan troops have died in just a year in Helmand. The security situation in southern Afghanistan is only getting worse.

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