A U.S. citizen who was abducted by Taliban insurgents was rescued by U.S. forces in an operation in eastern Afghanistan early on Dec. 9, NATO-led forces said in a statement.
The statement said the American, identified as Dr. Dilip Joseph, had been abducted on Wednesday in the Sarobi district of Kabul province.
U.S. General John Allen, commander of NATO-led foreign forces in Afghanistan aid he ordered the mission when intelligence showed that Joseph was "in imminent danger of injury or death."
"Today's mission exemplifies our unwavering commitment to defeating the Taliban," Allen said in the statement.
"I'm proud of the American and Afghan forces that planned, rehearsed and successfully conducted this operation."
"Thanks to them, Dr. Joseph will soon be rejoining his family and loved ones."
The Defense Department revealed Dec. 10, that a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed in the rescue mission that freed Joseph kidnapped by the Taliban.
Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque, 28, of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, died of combat-related injuries, according to a statement that gave no further details. He was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit.
Dr. Dilip Joseph was abducted on Dec. 5, in the Sarobi district of Afghanistan's Kabul province, according to NATO-led forces.
"The special operators who conducted this raid knew they were putting their lives on the line to free a fellow American from the enemy's grip," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement released by the Pentagon.
"They put the safety of another American ahead of their own, as so many of our brave warriors do every day and every night."
