Helicopter in fatal Kabul crash

KABUL: Five members of Nato’s international support mission in Afghanistan were killed and five were injured when a British military helicopter crashed in the capital, Kabul, officials said yesterday.

Nato’s Resolute Support mission said that two British service members, two US service members and a French contracted civilian had been killed as a result of Sunday’s crash at its headquarters in the city.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said that two Royal Air Force personnel had been killed when the British Puma Mk 2 helicopter crashed while landing at the base.

“We’re deeply saddened by the loss of our teammates,” said Brigadier-General Wilson = Shoffner, the deputy chief of staff for communications.

The incident, described as “non-hostile”, was being investigated.

In a separate incident, two Afghan pilots were killed and five people on board were injured when a small Afghan army plane crashed in the central province of Bamyan yesterday afternoon.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that an Afghan army plane had crashed owing to a technical problem, but could not immediately confirm the casualties.

Nato’s combat mission in Afghanistan has ended, but about 12 000 mostly US troops remain there, focused on training Afghan security forces. – Reuters