US Forces Likely Still Engaged in Afghan Fighting After Helicopter Incident

American forces are still carrying out operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province in support of the country’s military after an incident earlier today that resulted in a serviceman’s death, US Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook said in a briefing.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — At least one US Special Operations Forces soldier advising and training the Afghan Army was killed in the incident and another two injured, the US military has admitted.

"There is fighting on the ground as we speak. … There may still be Americans on the ground engaging with the support of Afghan forces," Cook stated. "Everything is being done to secure the safety of those Americans."

Cook acknowledged that the Afghan National Army, after more than a decade of being built up by the US military, is still not capable of operating by itself against the insurgent Islamist Taliban, which captured the Sangin region of Helmand province late last December.

"They're not at that stage yet — where they can take control of their country. So this is an ongoing effort… They're not at a point yet where they're able to operate entirely on their own," Cook noted.

In a separate incident also on Tuesday, an Afghan military helicopter was shot down south of Kabul and three Afghan soldiers on board were killed, while another 13 captured by Taliban forces, according to reports.