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Bodies of 2 Navy SEALs found in Afghanistan

One American from team remains missing

From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS

Afghanistan
Military
Unrest, Conflicts and War
Kabul

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The bodies of two missing Navy SEALs have been found in Afghanistan a week after a four-man team went missing, U.S. senior military officials said Tuesday.

One SEAL remains missing; another was rescued and is expected to make a full recovery, officials said. (Full story)

The two bodies have not been identified, and the U.S. military has notified the families of all three missing SEALs.

The small reconnaissance team was last heard from when it called in for reinforcements June 28 near the Afghan-Pakistan border. The SEALs were participating in Operation Red Wing against insurgents in Afghanistan's Kunar province.

An American military helicopter crashed while bringing the reinforcements to the team, killing all 16 service members on board. (Full story)

It was the worst single-day death toll for U.S. forces since the Afghan war began almost four years ago. (Casualties identified)

The U.S. military says it believes insurgents shot down the MH-47 helicopter.

On Friday, the United States launched an airstrike on a compound that military officials described as a "known operating base for terrorist attacks."

The compound was sheltering insurgents connected to last week's chopper downing, military officials said.

Gov. Asadullah Wafa of Kunar province told news agencies that 17 civilians, including some women and children, were killed in the strike.

In a statement Monday, the U.S.-led Coalition Press Information Center said the number of civilians and "enemy terrorists" killed was unknown.

The statement said that a "medium-level terrorist leader" used the compound as a base and the airstrike was hastily ordered for fear the leader would leave the site.

"Certainly loss of innocent lives is something that anyone putting together an operation tries to avoid, so loss of innocent lives is something that our forces avoid," said Lt. Cindy Moore, a spokeswoman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Moore also said it was common for "enemy forces" to move their families into areas where they are conducting operations, thus putting innocent civilians at risk.

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