A US army helicopter crashed in Pakistan near the Afghan border early Saturday, officials said, killing two US troops - the first reported US deaths in the Afghan military campaign.
Pakistan military officials told AFP the helicopter crashed accidentally as it came into land at Dalbandin airport in the southwest province of Baluchistan.
A top provincial security official said the helicopter crashed near the landing strip in the early hours of Saturday. "The pilot and co-pilot jumped to safety but two American servicemen were killed and one other soldier was injured," said the official.
The accident came as the United States launched its first ground strikes in Afghanistan. Dalbandin is near the Pakistan-Afghan border.
US President George W. Bush said the first reported deaths of US soldiers in the operation against the Taliban militia and accused terrorist leader Osama bin Laden were "not in vain."
Speaking at an Asia-Pacific economic summit in Shanghai, Bush said: "My heart goes out to the family and friends of those who lost their life. It is hard to express my gratitude in proper words for people that are willing to sacrifice for freedom.
"I want to assure the loved ones that the soldiers died in a cause that is just and right and that we will prevail."
A Pakistani military official told AFP the crash was accidental. "It was not the result of any sabotage activity.
"The helicopter was involved in a search and rescue operation," launched from Pakistan, the official said.
The Islamabad government is offering only logistical support for the US military campaign. Under this arrangement, the United States can use Pakistan air bases for search and rescue missions for troops in trouble in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has ruled out allowing US forces to mount attacks on Afghanistan from its territory.
It was not known if the helicopter was heading into, or returning from, Afghanistan.
The deaths were the first reported US casualties since the campaign against Afghanistan began on October 7.
US defence officials confirmed that an operation involving US troops had been mounted late Friday inside Afghanistan.
US media said between 100 and 200 troops had attacked Taliban targets in southern Afghanistan, which borders the large, semi-desert province of Baluchistan.
The US Defence Department said the US military helicopter crashed in Pakistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. US officials would not say if the helicopter was taking part in the first ground raids in Afghanistan.
The airports that the United States can use in Pakistan are Jacobabad, on the border between Sindh and Baluchistan provinces, at Pasni, a remote coastal town on the Arabian Sea coast, and Dalbandin airport, which is in western Baluchistan, close to the Afghan border.
Jacobabad has seen a number of demonstrations by opponents of the US airstrikes on Afghanistan. A number of pro-Taliban militants have called on their supporters to attack US forces stationed in Pakistan -- Islamabad, (AFP)
