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Breaking News

U.S. Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan; Four Crewmembers Reported Injured

Aired November 02, 2001 - 19:45   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much. We're following this breaking news. A U.S. helicopter, a military helicopter is down in Afghanistan.

Jamie McIntyre, our military affairs correspondent, is over at the Pentagon. He joins us now with more with more details -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Wolf, it appears that all of the U.S. military personnel are safe, although four U.S. military personnel have been injured. According to the first official word we have gotten now from the Pentagon, this happened at about 10:30 at night tonight local time in Afghanistan. Two U.S. military helicopters were on an undisclosed mission flying over Afghan territory when severe weather, according to the Pentagon, caused one of the helicopters to have a crash landing.

The second helicopter was able to land and evacuate the four members of the crew. They were all injured, but we are told that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

All of the crew was moved out of Afghanistan, and they are all receiving medical attention. And we're also told that because this helicopter apparently went down in Taliban-controlled territory in Afghanistan, that F-14s from the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Theodore Roosevelt carried out airstrikes to destroy the downed helicopter.

Again, the headline is that four U.S. military personnel were injured. None of the injuries believed to be life-threatening, and they were evacuated out of Afghanistan by a second helicopter after the first one was forced to crash land because of severe weather -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much, and we'll continue to follow the story. More details at the top of the hour on "THE POINT WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN."

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