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Source: Special ops member rescued in AfghanistanPentagon releases names of men killed in helicopter crash
 The MH-47 is a variant of the U.S. Army's twin-rotor Chinook transport helicopter. RELATEDSPECIAL REPORT
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- One member of a U.S. special operations reconnaissance team missing in Afghanistan since Tuesday has been rescued, a U.S. official told CNN. The team member "evaded the enemy and was successfully rescued by U.S. forces," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. No other details were released because the search for other members of the team continues, the official said. A helicopter crashed Tuesday while bringing reinforcements to the team, killing all 16 service members aboard. The Pentagon, which believes the helicopter was downed by a rocket-propelled grenade, released the names of the eight soldiers and eight sailors Saturday. It was the worst single-day death toll for U.S. forces since the Afghan war began nearly four years ago. The U.S. military said the chopper crash killed eight Navy SEALs and eight soldiers from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). (Full story) The small reconnaissance team had called for reinforcements during a battle with insurgents. It was the last contact the military received from the team until the weekend rescue. When four Chinook transport helicopters bringing in reinforcements arrived at the scene, the team was not there, and no signs of blood or combat were evident, military officials said. It was during the relief operation that one of the twin-rotor Chinooks crashed. The crew of another chopper saw a smoke trail from an insurgent position, possibly indicating a missile or rocket had been fired. The helicopter went down soon after, officials said. The Chinook that crashed was a MH-47, a variant of the standard CH-47. It is flown only by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, according to Army officials. The regiment is assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The outfit is nicknamed "Night Stalkers" because of its focus on night operations. It is probably best known for its role in the 1993 operation in Somalia depicted in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down." The reconnaissance team was participating in Operation Red Wing, an effort to defeat terrorists in Kunar province, according to the coalition press office in Kabul, the Afghan capital. (Full story) A person identifying himself as a Taliban official called CNN's bureau in Pakistan late Tuesday and said the group claimed responsibility for downing the helicopter. The Taliban -- the fundamentalist Islamic faction that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until late 2001 when a U.S.-led coalition knocked it from power -- continues to field guerrilla operations in the country, particularly along the border with Pakistan. On Friday, U.S. forces attacked what was described as an enemy compound near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, a military spokesman said Saturday. Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara said a battle damage assessment was not yet complete. He also would not say if an airstrike was directly related to the missing military team, The Associated Press reported. CNN's Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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