CONFIRMATION ON MULLAH ISMAIL’S VENTILATION
During his stint as an insurgent commander, Ismail became a folklore legend to insurgents in Afghanistan in 2005 after claiming responsibility for shooting down two US special operations helicopters as they attempted a rescue mission for a four-man team of Navy SEALs who disappeared during Operation Redwing. Three of the missing SEAL team died in the initial ground ambush by Ismail’s men and another 16 US personnel, eight of which were also SEALs, were killed when insurgents shot the two helicopters down with a salvo of rocket propelled grenades. The sole surviving member of the ill-fated team sought refuge from local villagers who nursed him back to health and helped coordinate a successful US rescue mission several days later.