Taliban commander blamed in 2005 helicopter attack is killed

A Taliban commander blamed for the deadliest attack on American troops since they entered Afghanistan in late 2001 has been killed in a shootout with security forces in Pakistan, U.S. and Pakistani officials said.

Police killed Ahmad Shah, also known as Mullah Ismail, at a roadblock near the northwestern city of Peshawar, a senior Pakistani intelligence official said.

Two U.S. security officials confirmed Shah’s death in a shootout and said Pakistani authorities had his body.

U.S. and Afghan officials have described Shah as the leader of Taliban militants who ambushed a group of U.S. commandos in June 2005 and shot down a Chinook helicopter sent to rescue them.

Sixteen American special forces troops on the helicopter died.