Afghanistan - A member of a missing elite U.S. military team has been wounded and taken shelter in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan, a provincial governor said Monday, a day after the announcement that another teammember had been rescued.
Wafa said the U.S. troop who had been located had taken shelter in a house and Afghan forces were trying to reach him.
"He is in a civilian's house. He is injured," Wafa said.
.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara declined to comment on the governor's comments, except to say "we hold every hope for those who are still missing."
He said American forces were still in the area searching for the missing men.
The small special operations unit was reported missing last Tuesday in mountains in Kunar province, near the border with Pakistan. A rescue effort the same day ended in tragedy when a transport helicopter seeking to extract the team was shot down, killing 16 troops aboard. It was the deadliest single blow yet to American forces who ousted the Taliban in 2001.
U.S. military officials told NBC News on Monday the rescued serviceman was a Navy SEAL and would be returned to duty in Afghanistan within a few days.
"He's in relatively good physical condition and will be returned to duty,� a defense official told NBC.
Officials also told NBC that the SEAL had been providing the military with details about last week�s attack, and the possible whereabouts and condition of the other three members of that four-man reconnaissance team.
U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O�Hara declined to comment on the rescued serviceman, but said an unspecified number of other troops were still missing in the mountains. �We still have missing servicemembers. The search continues and all available assets are being used,� he said.
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