U.S.: Taliban Who Shot Down Helicopter Killed

U.S. General John Allen (file photo)

The commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan has said that the Taliban insurgents who shot down a U.S. military helicopter, leaving 30 U.S. troops dead, have been hunted down and killed by allied forces.

General John Allen told reporters at the Pentagon that "at approximately midnight on August 8, coalition forces killed the Taliban insurgents responsible for this attack."

In a separate statement, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said the strike "killed Taliban leader Mullah Mohibullah and the insurgent who fired the shot associated with the August 6 downing."

The 30 U.S. troops -- including more than 20 from the U.S. special operations forces -- seven Afghan commandos, and an Afghan interpreter were killed on August 6 when the helicopter they were flying in was shot down in Wardak Province.

It was the single deadliest loss for U.S. forces in the nearly 10-year-old U.S. involvement in the Afghan war.

compiled from agency reports