KABUL, 7 May 2006 — A US military helicopter crashed while on combat operations in eastern Afghanistan, killing all 10 US service members on board, the US military said yesterday.
The CH-47 Chinook crashed late on Friday near Asadabad, the capital of Kunar province.
The US military said the crash was not a result of enemy fire although Taleban insurgents claimed they shot it down. “The remains of 10 servicemen were found in the aircraft. There were no survivors,” said US military spokeswoman Lt. Tamara Lawrence.
The cause of the crash was being investigated but there was “absolutely no indication” it had been brought down by hostile fire, Lawrence said.
The United States has more than 19,000 troops in Afghanistan, battling insurgents and hunting for their leaders. It is aiming soon to cut its troop numbers to 16,500 as reinforcements from fellow NATO members take over more responsibilities.
US forces last month launched an offensive against Taleban rebels in Kunar. Insurgents have long been active in the province on the Pakistani border.
In June last year, an MH-47 — a special forces version of the CH-47 — was shot down during an anti-guerrilla mission in the province killing all 16 US troops on board.
President Hamid Karzai said he was deeply saddened by the deaths in Friday’s crash.
A Taleban commander, Mullah Dadullah, speaking by telephone, said Taleban fighters had shot down the helicopter on Friday with a “new weapon.” The Taleban are known for making outlandish claims.
