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CNN Live Today

Special Forces Soldier Killed on Patrol in Eastern Afghanistan

Aired May 20, 2002 - 13:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the latest American lost, a special forces soldier killed on patrol in eastern Afghanistan. Back to the Pentagon and Barbara Starr on this front -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.

Well, the Pentagon just a few moments ago released the formal identification of the special forces soldier killed yesterday in eastern Afghanistan in that firefight. He is sergeant Gene Arden Vance Jr. His hometown is Morgantown, West Virginia. He was a member of the West Virginia National Guard, a special forces soldier operating in eastern Afghanistan.

We are told he was killed when his patrol came under heavy enemy fire. His group was operating with local Afghan fighters. They were moving through eastern Afghanistan. They came under fire. Initial reports are that one of those Afghan military members was also wounded in this firefight.

Arrangements are now being made, of course, to return his body to his family in West Virginia.

Officials say that this operation in eastern Afghanistan continues to be very dangerous, very sensitive. What they are doing is something called "saturation reconnaissance," we are told. That's putting a lot of troops in the area, moving through there, conducting surveillance, reconnaissance, looking for any Al Qaeda or Taliban holdouts, looking for any evidence. If they find anything, they deal with it. They try and isolate an area, clear it, and try and determine that it's free of Al Qaeda or Taliban so they can move on the next area. A lot of manpower being devoted to this, and a very, very dangerous mission -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara, thanks again. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

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