Kabul: Two NATO soldiers were killed on Tuesday when a helicopter crashed in eastern Afghan region. The Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
“Two International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members died following a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan today,” the NATO-led ISAF said in the statement. Earlier Tuesday, local media reported that the chopper was crashed in Pachir Wa Agam district, eastern Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.
In the meantime, a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told local media via cell phone from undisclosed location that the insurgents shot down a US helicopter in Nangarhar Tuesday morning.
However, the ISAF statement ruled out involvement of insurgents in the incident, saying “The cause of the incident is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.”
The Tuesday’s incident is the second air crash incident since beginning this month. On April 3, a coalition F-16 jet fighter went down in eastern Parwan province killing the pilot.
In addition, up to three ISAF helicopters have gone down since beginning this year and six people have been killed. The NATO-led ISAF has not announced the cause of any of the crashes or whether the helicopters were downed as a result of hostile action. The deaths bring to 32 the number of foreign soldier killed in Afghanistan so far this year.
