U.S. soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan
The U.S. military says an American soldier — Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin, 34, of Fort Lee, N.J. — has been killed fighting in eastern Afghanistan.
A military statement issued Jan. 2 said four other soldiers were wounded in the Jan. 1 battle in the Achin district of Nangarhar province. It said two of the wounded were in stable condition and the other two have returned to duty.
Golin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo.
Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, says “we are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own.”
The United States formally concluded its combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014 but still carries out operations against the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate, both of which are active in Nangarhar.
Russian helicopter crashes in Syria, two pilots die
The Russian military says one of its helicopters has crashed during an emergency landing in Syria’s west, killing both pilots onboard.
The Defense Ministry said in a Jan. 3 statement that the Mi-24 helicopter was en route to the city of Hama when crashed Dec. 31.
Both pilots were killed when the helicopter had to perform an emergency landing 15 kilometers away from the airport. A technician onboard was injured and was promptly evacuated to a Russian base.
The ministry cited a technical fault as the cause of the crash and said the helicopter did not come under fire. AP