US-led helicopter crashes in Afghanistan

A helicopter belonging to the US-led forces in Afghanistan has crashed in the east of the Asian country, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says.

An ISAF spokesman said on Thursday that the NATO helicopter crashed in the eastern province of Kapisa.

“I can confirm an International Security Assistance Force helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan today,” the ISAF spokesman stated.

“The cause is under investigation but initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time. The reporting we have at this time is that there were no casualties.”

Meanwhile, the Taliban said the helicopter had been shot down by rocket fire in the Tagab district of Kapisa. The militant group claimed that all the personnel abroad were killed.

Kapisa provincial governor Mehrabuddin Safi confirmed the incident and said, “We are investigating what caused the crash and possible casualties.”

Taliban have usually claimed responsibility for such crashes in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion of the country.

In 2011, the Taliban militants downed a US helicopter in the eastern province of Wardak. Thirty-one members of the US Special Forces were killed in the attack, which was the biggest single loss of life for American forces since 2001.