Two U.S. troops found dead in Afghanistan -official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two elite U.S. special forces troopswho went missing in Afghanistan last week have been found dead,a senior U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.

The confirmation came after one member of a team of fourmissing Navy SEALS was rescued over the weekend and a militarysearch for the fourth man continued in northeasternAfghanistan.

“I’m sorry to say that we have recovered two bodies,” thedefense official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.

A senior Afghan army commander told Reuters earlier that hehad reports that a second survivor from the group of fourAmerican troops had been rescued, but senior U.S. defenseofficials flatly denied the report on Sunday.

“I think there has been some confusion and that he (theAfghan commander) was behind the curve on this. He apparentlywas talking about the recovery of the first man, who hadsuffered injuries,” one of the officials told Reuters.

The New York Times, also quoting a senior Pentagonofficial, reported that two of the soldiers who went missinglast week in an anti-militant operation had been found dead,while one was still missing and one had been rescued.