The Department of Defense identified Sunday the U.S. soldier who was killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan late Friday evening.
The crash in Logar province killed Jacob M. Sims, a 36-year-old chief warrant officer from Juneau, Alaska. Sims was assigned to 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, reports the Associated Press.
The Pentagon confirmed that six other crew members were injured in the crash and are undergoing medical treatment.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our comrade,” General John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement. “On behalf of all of Resolute Support, our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of our fallen comrade and those injured in this unfortunate event.”
The helicopter reportedly hit a tree while inserting troops for a night raid, forcing an emergency landing, according to Stars and Stripes, which cited the local provincial governor’s office. The Taliban initially said it had shot down the helicopter, a claim the U.S. military refuted Saturday. (RELATED: US Service Member Dies After Helicopter Goes Down In Afghanistan)
Sims is the 12th U.S. service member to be killed in Afghanistan in 2017.
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