A Navy SEAL killed during a weekend rescue mission in Afghanistan was identified by the Pentagon on Monday as Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque of Monroeville, PA.
The 28-year-old died of combat-related injuries, the Defense Department said in a statement that gave no further details of the mission.
Checque was a member of SEAL Team Six, which freed an American doctor abducted by the Taliban. The same team killed Osama bin Laden last year, but it's unclear whether Checque was involved in the bin Laden mission.
Dr. Dilip Joseph of Colorado Springs, Colo., was rescued in eastern Afghanistan, according to officials in Afghanistan. The military said Joseph was an adviser for Colorado Springs-based Morning Star Development and was abducted last week. He was later rescued after intelligence showed he was in imminent danger of injury or possible death.
Joseph's family on Monday extended their condolences to Checque's family. In a statement issued by Morning Star-Development, Joseph's family expressed gratitude for the "soldier's heroism and for the bravery of all involved in the mission."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
