KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. Special Forces soldiers, in a daring nighttime operation, freed a kidnapped American working for the Army Corps of Engineers, the first known hostage rescue by American forces in Afghanistan.
The American, who was abducted in mid-August, had been held in a growing insurgent stronghold 30 miles west of Kabul, U.S. military officials told The Associated Press. They said several insurgents were killed in last week’s mission to free him.
Officials declined to reveal even the smallest detail or the captive’s identity, saying they did not want to compromise military tactics or the man’s safety. A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan said growing insecurity imperils its work to rebuild the country.
“This guy didn’t have any money at all. It was like a personal life mission for him to help others,” said Bruce J. Huffman, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan.
“We all felt sick about it, because he was never going to be able to pay a ransom. He’s over here helping people, and they’re trying to make a buck off him.”
The Associated Press
