CBS NEWS
A member of the same elite U.S. special operations team that killed
Osama bin Laden was himself killed during a weekend rescue mission in
Afghanistan to free an American doctor abducted by the Taliban.
CBS News
National Security correspondent David Martin reports the member of SEAL
Team 6 killed in the rescue mission has been identified as 28-year-old
Petty Officer First Class Nicolas Checque of Monroeville, Pa.
He was killed by a single shot to the head during the mission to rescue Dr. Dilip Joseph, Martin reports.
Martin
reports seven alleged Taliban militants were killed in the operation to
free the doctor, who was captured outside of Kabul five days ago. There
was no further information available on the operation.
President
Obama praised the special forces on Sunday, saying the mission was
characteristic of U.S. troops' "extraordinary courage, skill and
patriotism."
A spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan
said Dr. Joseph, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was rescued early Sunday,
local time, in eastern Afghanistan. Joseph, a medical adviser for
Colorado Springs-based Morning Star Development, was rescued after
intelligence showed he was in imminent danger of injury or possible
death, according to the U.S. military.
"He gave his life
for his fellow Americans, and he and his teammates remind us once more
of the selfless service that allows our nation to stay strong, safe and
free," Mr. Obama said of the fallen American service member in a
statement.
In a separate statement Sunday, Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta said, "In this fallen hero, and all of our
special operators, Americans see the highest ideals of citizenship,
sacrifice and service upheld."
Morning Star, a relief
group that helps rebuild communities in Afghanistan, said in a statement
that Joseph was uninjured and would probably return home in a few days.
The group also said two of his co-workers were freed by their captors
about 11 hours before the rescue, after hours of negotiations were
conducted over three days.
Morning Star said the three
workers were abducted by a group of armed men while returning from a
visit to one of the organization's rural medical clinics in eastern
Kabul province. The group said the three workers were taken into
mountains about 50 miles from the Pakistan border.
The
relief group said it would not reveal the identity of the other two men
because they live and work in the region. The group said it did not pay
ransom to obtain their release.
Morning Star praised
those who helped get their workers back unharmed, singling out
"courageous members of the U.S. military who successfully rescued Mr.
Joseph as they risked their own lives doing so."
The
group also offered thanks to local Afghan elders and local leaders "who
made visits and appeals to the captors advocating for the release of the
hostages."
"This was a combined operation
of U.S. and Afghan forces," said 1st Lt. Joseph Alonso, a spokesman for
U.S. forces in Afghanistan. "Information was collected through multiple
intelligence sources, which allowed Afghan and coalition forces to
identify the location of Joseph and the criminals responsible for his
captivity."
Gen. John Allen, the top commander of U.S.
forces in Afghanistan, said the joint force planned, rehearsed and
successfully conducted the operation.
"Thanks to them, Dr. Joseph will soon be rejoining his family and loved ones," Allen said.