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2 U.S. personnel die in helicopter crash

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon announced Friday night that two U.S. military personnel were killed in a helicopter accident in Pakistan, the first casualties of the U.S. military campaign against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Sources told CNN this helicopter was not among those that went into Afghanistan in a Special Operations mission. Instead, it was a search-and-rescue helicopter playing a support role, standing by in Pakistan in case it was needed to go into Afghanistan and rescue anyone.

The Pentagon has not released the identities of the deceased and has not specified the type of helicopter or its unit.

A senior administration official told CNN that President Bush was informed of the deaths of the two U.S. military personnel prior to leaving his hotel in Shanghai, China, for a day of meetings at the Asia Pacific Economic Conference forum.