Five U.S. Troops Killed in Afghan Chopper Crash

25/09/2005| IslamWeb

A U.S. military helicopter crashed during an anti-militant operation in Afghanistan on Sunday, killing all five American crew members aboard, a U.S. military spokesman said.

The CH-47 Chinook transport crashed southwest of the south central district of Dai Chophan after dropping off troops during an anti-militant operation, Colonel Jim Yonts said.

He said it was too early to say if hostile fire or mechanical failure was to blame.

Yonts said the helicopter had been transporting troops in support of a continuing anti-militant operation in Dai Chophan, the northern part of the restive province of Zabul.

It was not the first crash of a U.S. Chinook in Afghanistan.

In June, an MH-47 helicopter -- a special forces version of the CH-47 -- was shot down during an anti-guerrilla mission in the eastern province of Kunar, killing all U.S. 16 troops on board.

In April, a CH-47 crashed during a dust storm in Ghazni province, killing 15 American servicemen and three U.S. civilian contractors.

Last month, a Spanish military helicopter crashed near the western city of Herat, killing all 17 Spanish soldiers on board. Spain's defence ministry said hostile fire was unlikely to have been the cause of that crash.

PHOTO CAPTION

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter carries supplies to a Combined Medical Assistance camp site at Marouf Valley, Afghanistan in this October 21, 2003 handout photo. (Reuters)