( CNN ) -- An American doctor rescued in Afghanistan this month has thanked those who helped free him , offering special gratitude to the family of a young SEAL killed during the operation . Dr. Dilip Joseph and two other staff members for the international aid group Morning Star Development were kidnapped by armed men on December 5 as they returned from a rural medical clinic in eastern Kabul province . The raid to free Joseph came several hours after the other two were released . Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque , 28 , of Monroeville , Pennsylvania , was killed during the operation . `` I would like to take this moment to thank the U.S. and Afghan forces for putting their lives on the line to rescue me . I can appreciate the difficulty of this particular operation and deeply value the sacrifice of one of their own servicemen for the success of this mission , '' Joseph said in a statement posted Friday on the Morning Star website . `` My heart goes out to the family of the fallen hero for his service , commitment and courage . He will remain a legacy for me and my family for generations to come , '' Joseph said . While the Defense Department said only that Checque belonged to an `` East Coast-based Special Warfare Unit , '' a U.S. official said the man was a member of the Navy 's Special Warfare Development Group , more commonly known as SEAL Team Six . The elite unit is the same one that took part in the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden . The official did n't know whether the SEAL who died was involved in that operation . U.S. officials provided few others details about the rescue effort . Tribal leader Malik Samad and district chief Muhammad Haqbeen told CNN that Joseph and an Afghan doctor were abducted near the village of Jegdalek in the Sarobi district , just outside Kabul . The International Security Assistance Force said Taliban insurgents kidnapped the men . Samad and Haqbeen identified the kidnappers as smugglers . Checque joined the Navy in 2002 after graduating from high school , according to a brief service record provided by the Defense Department . After attending recruit training in Illinois and advanced training in Virginia , he entered the SEAL program in April 2003 . Joseph has worked with Morning Star for three years . He serves as its medical adviser , and travels frequently to Afghanistan , the agency said . He is now back with his family in the United States . `` I have been traveling to Afghanistan for the past several years in the hope of making a difference for this country and her people . I still hold Afghanistan in great regard and will continue to pray and hope for its ' peace and long-term stability , '' said Joseph .
Dr. Dilip Joseph and two others were abducted December 5 in eastern Kabul province . The two were tortured and Joseph was killed in a shootout . A civilian was slain in the rescue effort . Two local Afghan leaders say smugglers were responsible ; ISAF blames the Taliban .