NATO Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan; Two Troops Dead
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Tim Hawley/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Two troops were killed Wednesday when a NATO helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, the third time in 10 days that a coalition chopper has come down.
The International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) would not confirm the nationality of the two soldiers.
The incident happened in Logar province, an area patrolled mostly by U.S. forces. A spokesperson for the ISAF would not comment if the helicopter belonged to the U.S.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
“Sometimes these things take weeks to determine the actual cause,” Maj. Adam Wojack, an ISAF spokesperson, said.
The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility, saying one of their fighters shot the aircraft down. Afghan sources in Logar say a heavy firefight broke out after the helicopter crashed.
Less than a week ago, a NATO helicopter crashed near Kandahar, killing two Australian troops.
On Aug. 26, another NATO helicopter crashed, described by ISAF as a “hard landing.” According to ISAF, no one on board was killed.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for both incidents, saying their fighters shot the aircraft down.
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