2 U.S. Marines Killed in Afghan Fighting

(CBS/AP)  The U.S. military said Tuesday that two Marines had been killed in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, the latest casualties as American forces seek to oust Taliban militants from their stronghold in the world's opium producing capital.

A statement released by the coaltion military force in Afghanistan said the troops were killed in a "hostile incident" on Monday.

Meanwhile, a civilian helicopter contracted by the U.S. military in Helmand crashed killing six people, according to NATO officials.

About 4,000 U.S. Marines have recently joined the fight in Helmand province - the first part of President Obama's intended surge of forces into the country to quell violence which has persisted since the Taliban government was toppled in 2001.

Military spokeswoman LTCdr Christine Sidenstriker told CBS News' Fazul Rahim there were casualties in the helicopter crash, but she could not provide any further details on how many people were injured or killed.

A coalition military source, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information had not yet been made public, told CBS News that neither the helicopter nor its crew were American.

Helmand province official Fazel Haq told the Associated Press the white helicopter crashed and caught fire around daybreak Tuesday in Sangin district in the country's south.

A spokesman for the NATO-led force said six civilians on board were killed and an Afghan national on the ground was hurt. He could not be identified because he was not the media office's top spokesman.

Sidenstriker would not say what caused the helicopter to crash on Tuesday, but she did not rule out the possibility of enemy fire.

In a text message sent to CBS News' Sami Yousafzai, a Taliban commander claimed Tuesday that militants had shot down a helicopter in Helmand province. The claim could not be verified, but the timing and approximate location matched the crash confirmed by Sidenstriker.

The chief of Helmand's Sangin district told Reuters news agency he saw the helicopter on fire before crashing to the ground.

"It was in the sky on fire and then went down," Fazlul Haq told the news agency.

At least 107 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year - a staggering pace for American casualties that could easily pass the death toll of 2008, when 151 service members were killed in the country.

On Monday, the American military reported one service member's death as a result of enemy fire during a vicious fight in the town of Bargh-e-Matal, in the eastern province of Nuristan.

CBS News correspondent Mandy Clark was with American troops as they found themselves surrounded by Taliban militants perched on high hills. Clark's exclusive report from the battle for Bargh-e-Matal can be seen below:

[Aldymac]

You fight your enemy where you find him, in case you whinning liberals haven't been watching, the enemy in this case always finds civilians to hide behind while they shoot at NATO forces. So instead of whinning why don't you offer yourselves as shields for NATO forces? then you would be able to experience the reality of war as a noncombatent.
You libs like to complain about the deaths in the conflict in Iraq and Afganistan over the last few years, I spent 13 months in Nam under the leadership of a democrat in the white house and there was nearly elevan thousand Americans killed in that time frame.
The civillian death toll was attrosious, but like I said before, you fight your enemy where he presents himself.

[GovernmentControl]

Why wont obama provide the troops and the afghanistan people yearning for democracy they support they need to prevail in the war on terror?

Obama is the enemy.

[ibsteve2u]

Man...I hope this isn't also you guys' planned approach for the next elections.

That tell a lie, and then repeat, repeat, repeat...in the hopes that repetition will make it stick in the reads of enough Americans?

It is trite...it is childish...it is boring...it is very, very Republican.

[andouzy]

US forces are better equipement and better training than their enemies.They have drones MRAP vehicles night vision systems modern helmets anti bullets vests, apaches, f 16 , f 15 and harrier jets satellite GPS system and etc...
Tell me how it is possible with all thoses equipements US forces are able to lose soldiers in any operation in which they are engaged?

[curiously1]

hower4 - Have you not been following the news of how young school girls in Afghanistan have been attacked by these radical thugs for simply attending school? Have you not heard how the thugs poured acid on their faces? Have you not heard or seen the images of islamic thugs stoning under age boys and girls in iran, Afghanistan and pakistan? Do you, for a second, think that the common Afghan population wants to be dominated by these thugs to this extent?
Every war has casualties of course. I feel saddened by seeing the innocent being injured or killed regardless of their nationality or religion. But when you have a rotten tooth, you have to pull it, and in the process, you may lacerate the gum around it.
The Afghans need our help to remove the thugs and we are helping them. I pray and hope that no one other than the islamic thugs is harmed.

[hower4]

Yes, I've been following news from many countries outside the USA too. Have you?

[hower4]

by curiously1 July 14, 2009 11:52 AM EDT
hower4 - Have you not been following the news of how young school girls in Afghanistan have been attacked by these radical thugs for simply attending school? Have you not heard how the thugs poured acid on their faces? Have you not heard or seen the images of islamic thugs stoning under age boys and girls in iran, Afghanistan and pakistan? Do you, for a second, think that the common Afghan population wants to be dominated by these thugs to this extent?
Every war has casualties of course. I feel saddened by seeing the innocent being injured or killed regardless of their nationality or religion. But when you have a rotten tooth, you have to pull it, and in the process, you may lacerate the gum around it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Actually, it's better to perform intelligent and professional work to reconstruct the tooth from the root upwards. Do you understand your own metaphor now?

[Joe_NY_15]

by hower4 July 14, 2009 11:40 AM EDT
Do you think God should bless and protect the innocent civilians in Afghanistan too?
_________________________

Who brainwashed you into thinking that Precision Guided Munitions (Bombs) all of sudden became not-so precise hitting un-intended targets ? what liberal re-education facility did you get brain washed to believe America kills innocent civilians ?

We go out of our way to avoid any collateral damage, even at the peril of our own troops to protect innocents.

So, keep hoping that the enemy and their fellow Ghans will be blessed, while you curse this country and our soldiers....it's the Liberal way !!!!

[hower4]

by Joe_NY_15 July 14, 2009 11:51 AM EDT
Who brainwashed you into thinking that Precision Guided Munitions (Bombs) all of sudden became not-so precise hitting un-intended targets ?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I think perhaps it was all the dead and maimed women and children, but apparently your superior brain can simply exclude these.

[hower4]

P.S. Your deliberate omission suggests that you think God should NOT bless and protect the innocent civilians in Afghanistan. Is that correct?

[curiously1]

I don't think the war in Afganistan has been a failure at all. Every war has casualties. The fact is we are pushing the thugs back and we have cornerred them and it's only a matter of time that we will grant them their wish of myrtardom. May God bless and protect our troops.

[hower4]

Do you think God should bless and protect the innocent civilians in Afghanistan too?

[hower4]

Absolutely right! The hypocrisy of the US and UK governments is sickening. Even worse, it makes no difference which of the major parties you vote for.

Why is it that ALL politicians seem to like wars?

Democracy is clearly failing to represent the views of the majority in the US and UK, so why should anyone in Afghanistan or elsewhere want to accept our kind of democracy?...... especially at the end of a gun!

[YuSoWrong]

My goodness, nothing in life is winnable unless big strong he-men Muslim superheroes are doing it for the community. Americans can only fail, the same way they failed to create a republic for themselves, failed to create an industrial revolution, failed to fight fascism in WW2, failed to create the Marshall Plan and NATO.

Is that the tone of this board? Because some of you are pathetic.

[YuSoWrong]

How about growing-up? How about moving out of your mom's basement and getting a job? How about NOT disappointing a woman? How about learning something about the subjects you bather-on about, day after day after day? Python, we all know you are one sad case. Don't remind us as often as you do, it's disturbing to normal people.

[wyodutch]

When those same Afghans were sending Russian boys home in boxes... we Americans cheered them as freedom fighters and patriots. Today, when they send our troops home in aluminum caskets, we call them terrorists.
.
Neck deep in the Big Muddy and the fool says "Push on".

[hower4]

Absolutely right! The hypocrisy of the US and UK governments is sickening. Even worse, it makes no difference which of the major parties you vote for.

Why is it that ALL politicians seem to like wars?

Democracy is clearly failing to represent the views of the majority in the US and UK, so why should anyone in Afghanistan or elsewhere want to accept our kind of democracy?...... especially at the end of a gun!

[underdogus09]

(AP) WASHINGTON - U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill was among a group of American personnel who were uninjured when an explosive device detonated near their convoy in southern Iraq.

define Victory again...

[GiveMeFreedom]

Victory - when all the democrats are gone.