The U.S. military said all 30 Americans killed in last week's crash of a Chinook helicopter in eastern Afghanistan have been identified. The U.S. Department of Defense said Friday medical examiners also were able to identify two of the eight Afghans killed in the crash.
The identification allows the remains to be released to the families for burial. Remains of the eight Afghans will be returned to Afghanistan after the identification process is complete.
The victims of the crash included members of the elite U.S. Navy SEALS, seven Afghan soldiers and an Afghan interpreter. It was the worst loss of life for the United States in a single incident during the decade-long war in Afghanistan.
Concerns have been raised that the country is not stable even though U.S. and NATO forces have begun to leave Afghanistan.
On Friday, two NATO service members were killed in separate blasts in southern Afghanistan. Their nationalities and identities have not been disclosed.
Earlier Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai for approximately 30 minutes. The White House said the two leaders discussed progress being made by coalition and Afghan National Security forces as the responsibility for the nation's security transitions into Afghan hands. They also discussed Afghan-led reconciliation and the strategy for regional engagement.
Pentagon: All American Victims of Afghan Crash Identified
